Three Kingdoms: Jiangdong is no longer a rat

Chapter 201 Just a Joke

Yuan Shu harbored a deep-seated hatred for both Yuan Shao and Liu Biao. The conflict and animosity between them were so intense that even the waters of the Three Rivers and Five Lakes could not be eliminated.

As time went on, this conflict and hatred gradually formed two opposing camps, drawing in numerous forces including Gongsun Zan, Cao Cao, Yan Yi, Tao Qian, the Black Mountain Army, Zhang Xiu, and Liu Bei, resulting in a massive war that affected six provinces.

Yan Yi, who has recently risen to prominence and is now directly confronting Yuan Shu, has become the biggest obstacle to Yuan Shu's conquest of Yangzhou and is also the target that Yuan Shu is eager to eliminate.

Sun Ce's face lit up with joy, and he clapped his hands and laughed, "Ziheng's words have hit Yuan Shu's sore spot. Yuan Gonglu will surely fall into the trap this time."

Putting aside the personal grudges and schemes between the various factions, the mere fact that Qiao Rui and Le Jiu's armies were wiped out was something that the face-conscious Yuan Shu could not tolerate and would certainly launch the most severe retaliation.

How could Yuan Shu accept being defeated by a mere upstart? If he stood idly by, his prestige would suffer a severe blow.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

After the military arrangements were finalized, Cheng Pu glanced at Sun Ce and couldn't help but say, "Bo Fu, there is one more thing that is urgent and cannot be delayed in the slightest."

"What is it?" Sun Ce asked.

Cheng Pu sat up straight and looked directly at Sun Ce: "We must rescue Junli and Gongfu as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, eager and expectant gazes immediately turned to Sun Ce.

Nowadays, the matter of rescuing Zhu Zhi and Huang Gai has become a dark cloud hanging over everyone's hearts. Yan Yi is simply insane, openly selling the prisoners of war in his hands. It is said that Shang Sheng and Yu Fan alone demanded 1,600 gold coins from Wang Lang.

Such a huge ransom was beyond everyone's imagination, and they all privately cursed Yan Yi severely.

At present, the only person capable of rescuing Zhu Zhi and Huang Gai is Madam Sun.

Sun Ce sighed inwardly, finally having to face this troublesome problem.

Given the Sun family's current financial resources, redeeming Zhu Zhi and Huang Gai would be a very difficult task. Not only would they have to return all the money Wu Jing had offered, but they would also likely have to spend even more.

This money was the initial capital Sun Ce used to support his army; how could it not break his heart? It was truly heartbreaking.

But Sun Ce also knew that this issue could not be avoided, otherwise he would have difficulty explaining it to his generals.

“What Cheng Gong said is exactly what I was thinking.” Sun Ce lowered his head slightly, trying his best to hide the change in his emotions, and said in a deep voice, “I will immediately send an envoy to Yan Yi. No matter what the cost, I will rescue Junli and Gongfu.”

Sun Ce's promise relieved everyone's worries, and they all showed satisfied smiles.

Shouchun, Zhongshi Palace.

Yuan Shu sat on a mat covered with a tiger skin, his expression shifting between light and dark. The bamboo slips piled on the table in front of him were scattered about, with one even lying on the ground, but no one dared to pick it up.

Ji Ling, Zhang Xun, Yang Hong, Li Ye and more than ten other civil and military officials sat upright on the main couch, their solemn gazes occasionally glancing at the bamboo slips on the ground.

Almost none of the things reported by Jane were good news.

The armies of Qiao Rui and Le Jiu were annihilated; Qiao Rui was captured, and Le Jiu was killed in action.
With the fall of Guzhang, all the grain and supplies stored in the city were plundered by the enemy.
Sun Ce sent his troops to forcibly demand grain and fodder from several counties surrounding Yongping.
Sun Ce urged Yuan Shu to quickly send reinforcements and provisions.
Tao Qian was terminally ill and secretly entrusted Xuzhou to Liu Bei.
Each and every one of these things went against Yuan Shu's expectations for conquering Xu Yang, so how could he not be furious?

"Bo Fu has written to me urging me to reinforce Danyang. What do you all think?"

Yuan Shu selectively ignored Sun Ce's actions of allowing his troops to plunder grain. This man was a sharp blade in his hands; whether it was resisting Yan Yi's army or conquering Yangzhou, he could not do without this increasingly sharp blade. However, the idea of ​​strengthening control over Sun Ce had already quietly taken root in his mind.

He glanced at the two rows of beds below, but did not find Yan Xiang. A sense of disappointment and anger welled up in his heart.

Yan Xiang was ill and unable to manage affairs. As for whether it was a real illness or a feigned one, everyone present knew the truth.

Li Ye was the strategist who had followed Yuan Shu the shortest. He wanted to take advantage of Yan Xiang's "serious illness" to increase his own importance in Yuan Shu's heart. Upon hearing this, he stood up impatiently and bowed respectfully to Yuan Shu with an eager look on his face.

"My lord, I believe that conquering Xuzhou is our established strategy. Now that Tao Qian is seriously ill and unable to recover, the people of Xuzhou are in a state of panic. This is a golden opportunity for you to launch your military campaign. As for the military affairs in Danyang, we can leave them to Bo Fu for now. It will not be too late to take over Yangzhou after you have taken control of Xuzhou."

As soon as he finished speaking, the solemn atmosphere in the council hall was broken by a murmur of whispers.

The people in the hall were either whispering to each other or exchanging glances, all thinking rapidly about how to influence Yuan Shu's decisions in order to maximize their own interests.

It is common knowledge that Yuan Shu intends to abandon Chen State in the north and gradually extricate himself from the quagmire of Yu Province. However, the question of where to transfer the 30,000 elite soldiers stationed in Chen State has become a matter of discussion.

Zhang Xun and Ji Ling were the top three generals under Yuan Shu, and were undoubtedly the pillars of Yuan's army. Their mats were right next to each other. After exchanging a few words, Zhang Xun, with his towering figure, suddenly stood up under everyone's gaze.

"My lord, Qiao Rui must be saved, and the grudge against Le Jiu must be avenged. Yan Yi is just a young boy, not even fully grown up, yet he dares to oppose you. If we allow him to run rampant, it may damage your reputation!"

Zhang Xun's words were like a whirlwind, stirring up waves of responses within the hall.

"What Shigong said is very true. In my opinion, Jiujiang and Lujiang have only recently been pacified. Our army needs to station a lot of troops in the two prefectures and does not have enough troops to attack Xuzhou. The time is not yet ripe to take Xuzhou."

"Xuzhou is impregnable, while Jiangdong is a disorganized mess. To attack Xuzhou, we would need at least 100,000 troops, but to conquer Jiangdong, 30,000 would suffice. Take the easy one first, and proceed with the difficult one later!"

“Tao Qian once fought alongside you against Yuan Shao. Taking advantage of his illness to attack him would likely damage your reputation.”

"Liu Bei is brave and skilled in battle. The Mi and Chen clans and other powerful families have expressed their support for him. He should not be underestimated."

Li Ye looked around, completely bewildered. He never expected that he would be the only one in the entire audience who supported taking Xuzhou first.

Every word he heard seemed to be a silent mockery, a relentless slap in the face.

Li Ye cast a reproachful glance at Zhang Xun and Ji Ling, who were whispering among themselves. He knew where he had gone wrong. The two most important generals in the army had expressed their support for attacking Jiangdong. How could the rest of these shrewd people not know which side to choose?

Yuan Shu listened attentively to everyone's advice, nodding slightly from time to time.

As the one in charge, he knew very well that the time was not yet ripe to attack Xuzhou; at least another year of preparation was needed. The urgent matter at hand was to eliminate this pawn planted by Yuan Shao and Liu Biao before Yan Yi's power became uncontrollable, to prevent trouble from erupting in his own backyard.

Yuan Shu pondered for a moment, then made up his mind and slowly stood up.

The hall fell silent instantly.

Keng!
Yuan Shu suddenly drew his sword, piercing through the table. His sharp gaze swept across the room, and his tone was icy: "Transfer 20,000 elite troops from the northern front to Danyang. I want to see Yan Yi's head within three months!"

Ji Ling and Zhang Xun were the first to stand up and loudly acknowledge the order, and the others quickly chimed in.

Within a few days, more than a hundred vehicles and riders came from all directions and poured into Guangde.

This included envoys sent by Sun Ce and Yuan Shu. With a major battle imminent, both Yuan and Sun were eager to ransom their captured generals, fearing that something unbearable might happen.

The envoy sent by Sun Ce was a guest recommended by Zhou Yu, named Jiang Lue. He was not well-known, but he was eloquent and had a good relationship with Si Qing. On Yuan Shu's side, Qiao Rui's elder brother, Qiao Xu, volunteered to go as an envoy to Guangde.

Yan Yi treated the two envoys very differently. Out of consideration for Si Qing, he reluctantly made time to meet with Jiang Lue. However, he treated Qiao Xu with great courtesy, sending a special attendant to receive him and arranging a meeting time.

It wasn't that he had any prejudice against Sun Ce, but rather it depended on his treatment of the prisoners of war.

"What?! Zhu Zhi is worth two thousand taels of gold, and Huang Gai is worth one thousand eight hundred taels of gold?"

Around noon, a voice filled with surprise and anger suddenly came from a guest room in the Guangde Temple.

Jiang Lue's chest heaved violently. Realizing his loss of composure, he quickly bowed and apologized, softening his tone: "Young Lord, I have heard that Shang Sheng's ransom is six hundred gold, and Yu Fan's ransom is only one thousand gold. Why are you asking my lord for such a high ransom?"

Yan Yi had no intention of letting Zhu Zhi and Huang Gai go. Hearing this, he sneered, dusted off his sleeves, and got up to leave: "A high ransom is necessary to showcase Zhu Zhi and Huang Gai's talents. I'm helping them make a name for themselves. This is the price. Take it or leave it."

To showcase one's talent? To take it or leave it?
Jiang Lue stared at Yan Yi's retreating figure, trembling with anger. Three thousand eight hundred gold coins—even if he sold Sun Ce, he couldn't raise that much money.

Before his mission, Sun Ce personally hosted a farewell banquet for him, patiently analyzing and discussing possible scenarios and countermeasures during the negotiations. But upon arriving in Guangde, he was dismissed before he could even exchange three sentences. How was he going to explain this to Sun Ce when he returned?
Jiang Lue came to her senses, but Yan Yi was no longer in sight.

He opened his mouth, trying to call Yan Yi back, but the words stopped abruptly, replaced by a thought: 'He'll come back, he'll come back. Asking for the moon, settling for the silver, I know this trick.'

Before he came, Sun Ce had instructed him that he could accept a ransom similar to that of Shang Sheng and Yu Fan. Given Yan Yi's greed, he would never give up this money.

However, no matter how long they waited, Yan Yi never returned.

Jiang Lue was completely stunned. He subconsciously lifted his foot and chased after Yan Yi in the direction he had left, but was stopped by several guards and then expelled from the official temple.

He wandered around the entrance of the official temple in a disheveled state, when he happened to see a middle-aged man in a blue official robe with a warm smile welcoming Qiao Xu into the temple.

Jiang was dumbfounded, stomped his foot angrily, and rode away on horseback.

Qiao Xu followed behind the attendant, his heart pounding as he walked toward the council hall. He saw Jiang Lue's predicament and knew that the other party would surely return empty-handed. With Yan Yi being so powerful, could he really redeem his younger brother?

In an effort to redeem Qiao Rui, the entire Qiao clan was thrown into chaos. Houses, fields, shops, workshops—everything of value was appraised. Members of each branch of the clan were also scrambling to raise money, even donating the jewelry of their two beloved daughters, ready to be sold once the ransom was agreed upon.

"Please wait here for a moment, Mr. Qiao. Young Master will be here shortly."

The visitor's words interrupted Qiao Xu's thoughts. He nodded slightly, but instead of sitting down on the couch, he stood in front of the hall door and waited.

A moment later, Yan Yi walked over wearing a straight-hemmed robe. As soon as he reached the front of the main hall, he saw a gentle and refined young man standing at the bottom of the steps, bowing to him.

"My name is Qiao Xu, and I pay my respects to Young Master."

Yan Yi was slightly taken aback and cast a questioning look at the visitor. Wasn't Qiao Xu almost forty years old? How could he look so young? Could there be a mistake?

The attendant, thinking he was being blamed for his lack of manners, hurriedly said, "Young Master, Lord Qiao insists on waiting here."

Yan Yi turned to look at Qiao Xu, and saw that he was as handsome as the rising sun and as graceful as the willow in spring. His temperament and elegance were so refined that they made people forget the mundane. He was truly the most handsome man he had ever seen in his life.

Judging from his appearance alone, it would be hard to believe that the person in front of you is nearly forty years old.

Only a few fine lines at the corners of his eyes vaguely revealed his age.

Yan Yi returned the greeting, entered the hall, and after Qiao Xu sat down, asked bluntly, "Master Qiao, have you come here to redeem your younger brother?"

Qiao Xu's heart leaped into his throat, secretly praying that the other party wouldn't make an exorbitant demand. He sat up straight and said, "I have come here for my younger brother. I beg you, young lord, to be lenient and consider the ransom amount."

Yan Yi played with the jade pendant in his hand, a thoughtful look in his eyes, and remained silent for a long time.

Qiao Xu was restless and nervous, and a fine layer of sweat appeared on his forehead. Suddenly, he heard the other party say, "Qiao Rui is one of Yuan Shu's top generals. If it weren't for your sake, sir, it would be impossible to ransom him. I have two requirements for the ransom, and you may choose one."

"Please speak, young lord." A bad feeling welled up in Qiao Xu's heart.

Yan Yi placed the jade pendant on the table and looked at Qiao Xu with a half-smile: "Firstly, Lord Qiao can redeem Qiao Rui with a thousand taels of gold. Secondly, I have heard that Lord Qiao has two daughters, who are treasures of the clan. I admire them greatly, and Lord Qiao can use these two daughters to exchange for Qiao Rui."

Qiao Xu was dumbfounded. His two daughters were not yet of marriageable age and had always been kept at home, rarely going out. How did this fellow know?
This is unbelievable.

Qiao Xu instinctively wanted to refuse; he couldn't bring himself to sell his daughter. But when he thought about the thousand taels of gold the other party was asking for, he suddenly felt conflicted.

That's a thousand gold pieces! Even if Yuan Shu were willing to share some of the cost, it would still be a terrifying sum for the Qiao family, enough to cripple the entire clan.

Qiao Rui was silent for a moment, her voice slightly hoarse: "I wonder what title the young master is willing to give my daughter?"

Yan Yi was slightly taken aback. It was just a spur-of-the-moment remark. Compared to the two thirteen or fourteen-year-old girls, the daughter of a thousand gold pieces was more appealing to him.

“I was just joking, please don’t take it to heart, Mr. Qiao. Let’s exchange the ransom for my brother. I’m willing to reduce the ransom to nine hundred gold coins.”

When Qiao Xu heard him change his mind, he became anxious, because he had just realized that this young man in front of him was the best choice for marrying off his daughter, regardless of his reputation, power, or age.

If this marriage can be arranged, not only will the ransom be saved, but the Qiao family will also have another person to rely on, which is a triple win.

“A gentleman’s words are like the casting of a tripod; once they come from your mouth, they enter my ears. How can they be taken back?” Qiao Xu said solemnly.

Yan Yi was a little confused and didn't come to his senses for a moment. Was the other party targeting him?
If he gains enough power in the future and desires the Qiao sisters, he can simply seize them. However, if he lacks the strength, agreeing now would only bring trouble upon himself; the saying "beautiful women bring disaster" is certainly not an exaggeration.

No matter how you look at it, this deal is a loss for me.

"Master Qiao, I have important business to attend to today, so we will discuss this matter another day. Someone, escort Master Qiao to the guesthouse to rest."

Without saying a word, Yan Yi sent Qiao Xu away, telling him to calm down first and come back to see him when he was willing to pay the ransom.

Yin Li waited outside the hall until she saw Qiao Xu leave with a hesitant expression and a look of helplessness before she went inside.

"Young Master, Sun Ce was indeed completely unprepared when he went out. If Cheng Pu hadn't arrived with his men, I would have already succeeded."

Yin Li's tone was full of frustration and resentment.

(End of this chapter)