Three Kingdoms: Jiangdong is no longer a rat

Chapter 202 The God of Wealth Arrives

The assassination of Sun Ce was not a spur-of-the-moment decision by the Inspectorate, but rather something that had been progressing steadily all along.

When Yan Yi first arrived in this world, he asked Pei Ji to send assassins to kill Sun Ce, but Yan Baihu stopped him.

After capturing Qiantang, his power grew, and he immediately established a new Inspectorate, headed by Yin Li. He allocated funds to employ a group of skilled assassins, dedicated to carrying out assassinations. The first person on the assassination list was none other than Sun Ce.

Just as Yin Li said, Yan Yi had placed a venomous snake by Sun Ce's side, ready to take Sun Ce's life whenever the opportunity arose.

"Continue to recruit assassins. If such an opportunity arises again, kill Sun Ce at all costs!"

After listening to Yin Li's description of the events of that day, Yan Yi realized that his assassination force was still insufficient, and made the decision without hesitation to expand the scale of the Investigation Bureau again.

Yin Li felt a chill run down his spine. Although he didn't know why Yan Yi was so 'fond' of Sun Ce, he knew it was a task that had to be completed, and an unprecedented killing intent surged in his heart towards Sun Ce.

"Reporting to Young Master, Li Yi, the Chief Clerk of Wu Commandery, requests an audience."

After Yan Yi finished giving his instructions, he picked up his sword from the table and was about to leave the council hall when the attendant who had just seen Qiao Xu off hurriedly came back.

Yin Li retreated silently, and as her figure disappeared through the hall door, she couldn't help but turn back to glance at Yan Yi.

"Young Master has been getting busier and busier lately."

He sighed softly, recalling Xu Ying's instructions to him, and a trace of worry flashed in his eyes.

Working day and night like this, even the strongest body would eventually give out.

Fortunately, the young lord is still young.
“Li Yi, Chief Clerk of Wu Commandery, pays his respects to the young lord.”

Li Yi, dressed in a black official robe, led two subordinates, both also dressed in official robes, into the hall with an imposing air.

Seeing his solemn attire, Yan Yi couldn't help but mutter to himself, "What's Xu Gong up to now?"

Li Yi was rather short. Standing at the foot of the steps, he glanced up at Yan Yi, who was holding a sword, and his eyelids twitched, causing him to soften his sharpness.

The young man before me is a completely different person now; he's not the naive kid who followed Yan Baihu around like a shadow a few months ago.

"Prefectural Commander! Yan Yi, receive the order!"

Li Yi took a scroll wrapped in crimson silk from an official behind him, straightened his body, and looked solemn.

"This prefecture is shocked to learn that the troops under the command of Commandant Yan Yi, known for his Tiger Might, have crossed the border without authorization, burning down houses and plundering civilians. With the autumn harvest imminent, the fields are empty of plows and hoes, and the roads are littered with the corpses of the dead. This is not the way to quell rebellion and bring peace to the people; it is truly a pest that harms the state."

"Danyang is a prefecture bestowed by imperial decree. You, a mere colonel, have presumptuously waged war and crossed the border to invade, which is an act of usurpation."

"You are hereby ordered to immediately cease hostilities, and none of your officers and soldiers are permitted to leave the city gates without authorization. Within three days, submit a memorial explaining your situation, which will be delivered to the prefectural capital by express courier!"

After Li Yi finished reading, he closed the bamboo slip and looked at Yan Yi, who was standing with his hand on the hilt of his sword and expressionless. His heart sank slightly. He took a few steps forward and handed the bamboo slip to Yan Yi. He softened his tone and said, "General, you have a bright future ahead of you. You should know the meaning of the Spring and Autumn Annals: 'Generals and officers should not fight on their own.' I hope you will cherish your reputation and withdraw your troops as soon as possible."

Yan Yi gripped the sword hilt with his right hand like an iron clamp, his eyes flashing coldly as he stared at Li Yi.

Xu Gong, that scoundrel, I haven't even gone to cause him any trouble yet, and he's already making his move. Playing the "holding the governor hostage to command Yangzhou" game—does he have the power of Cao Cao? What a fool!

Yan Yi knew that he and Xu Gong would inevitably clash sooner or later. Wu Commandery was the most prosperous land in Jiangdong. If Jiangdong were likened to a deer, then Wu Commandery would be its head. Such a fertile land would not be missed by anyone who wanted to establish a foothold in Jiangdong.

In fact, he was already preparing to attack Xu Gong. His apprenticeship under Sheng Xian was both to win over scholars and to gather forces led by Sheng Xian to oppose Xu Gong.

The united front, uniting all forces that can be united, how could he, from a later generation, not understand this principle?
"Lord Yan, please receive the order!"

Li Yi knew he was representing Xu Gong's reputation, and even though his heart was pounding, he dared not show the slightest fear.

This person dared to assassinate Sun Ce and successfully killed him, which shows he had some courage and bravery.

But he forgot whose territory he was on.

As soon as he finished speaking, dozens of guards inside and outside the hall surrounded him. Even Yin Li returned, staring at Li Yi and the other two with murderous intent.

The two subordinates behind Li Yi were instantly terrified and turned pale.

Li Yi suppressed his fear and met Yan Yi's gaze. He said in a deep voice, "This is the governor's order. Do you intend to disobey it?"

Yan Yi waved his hand lightly, signaling everyone to step back. A smile suddenly appeared on his lips as he said calmly, "His Majesty has already granted me the position of Prefect of Danyang. My coming here with my troops to reclaim this territory is in accordance with the laws of Heaven and the law! Do you even have the right to question the Emperor's decree?"

A deep look of astonishment flashed in Li Yi's eyes, and he subconsciously withdrew his hands from the document.

How could His Majesty so easily grant the prestigious position of Prefect of Danyang, which is of great importance to the entire prefecture and state, to a bandit?
He looked at Yan Yi with a suspicious expression: "Please take a look at the black ribbon and silver seal."

"Within ten days, His Majesty's appointment of me as Prefect of Danyang will be announced to Wu County. If it weren't for your reputation for loyalty and bravery, I would have taken your head today." Yan Yi had no patience to waste time with him here. He strode towards the hall's exit, pausing slightly as he passed Li Yi, his tone icy: "Go back and tell Xu Boqian not to mess with me!"

After saying that, he strode away.

Several days later, the heavily guarded Guangde welcomed a convoy heavily protected by 500 soldiers.

Yan Yi put aside his many affairs and personally went out of the mansion to greet him.

“I am a crude and uncouth man, how dare I accept the personal welcome of the young lord?”

Yi Ji lifted the curtain and saw Yan Yi standing in front of the mansion gate waiting. He quickly stepped off the carriage and walked to Yan Yi, bowing respectfully.

Yan Yi returned the greeting, took his arm, and wore a warm smile: "Uncle Ji, it's been a long time since I last saw you, you've gotten thinner! Please come in!"

This person in front of us is a god of wealth, so we have to serve him well.

The two entered the mansion and arrived at a guest room.

The hall was filled with the fragrance of incense. The steps leading to the hall were adorned with vermilion-lacquered armrests, and soft carpets were laid out below the steps. More than twenty maids stood on both sides of the carpets, and as Yi Ji passed by, they bowed and paid their respects in succession.

Yi Ji was extremely pleased with the courtesy shown to him by Yan Yi. He walked lightly into the hall, sat down on the couch, and looked at Yan Yi with a smile: "I have not failed in my mission. The matter that the young lord entrusted to me has been agreed to by you, my lord."

Liu Biao's quick agreement to provide aid was inextricably linked to the formidable strength of his army. When news of Wu Jing and Qiao Rui's defeat and Le Jiu's death reached Xiangyang, Liu Biao was so excited that he held a grand banquet in his residence to celebrate.

If Liu Biao initially regarded Yan Yi merely as a pawn, now it seems he sees him more as a collaborator.

In the Battle of Guzhang, Yan Yi demonstrated his ability to threaten Yuan Shu. This battle not only caused Yuan Shu to suffer heavy losses in his troops but also severely damaged his reputation.

Liu Biao was happy to see anything that would cause Yuan Shu to suffer a setback, and he applauded anything that could weaken Yuan Shu's power.

In the Battle of Xiangyang, if Sun Jian hadn't underestimated the enemy and acted rashly, Liu Biao's hard-earned foundation would have been destroyed.

Therefore, when Yuan Shu marched north to compete with Cao Cao for Yan Province, Liu Biao couldn't wait to cut off Yuan Shu's supply lines, which ultimately led to Yuan Shu losing Nanyang, the place where he started his power.

The grudges and power struggles between Liu and Yuan inadvertently benefited Yan Yi. "If it weren't for Ji Bo's mediation, our cooperation would have been impossible. I offer you this toast!"

Yan Yi raised his wine cup with a broad smile, sat down opposite Yi Ji and drank. After putting down the cup, he clapped his hands together three times.

As crisp applause rang out in the hall, a beautiful woman in a flowing purple dress entered, carrying an exquisitely carved gold box. She moved gracefully and knelt before Yi Ji, raising her delicate, lotus-like face and saying in a sweet voice, "This is a small gift that Young Master has carefully prepared for you, sir. Please accept it with a smile."

Knowing that the contents of the box must be extremely precious, Yi Ji accepted it with a smile after a slight refusal. He narrowed his eyes slightly and quickly glanced at the curvaceous body of the woman in front of him.

Yan Yi had been watching his actions closely. Seeing this, he smiled and said, "This woman is from Shanyang in Yanzhou. She happens to be from the same hometown as Uncle Ji. When Uncle Ji goes back, he might as well take this woman with him to renew their friendship as fellow townsmen."

Yi Ji revealed a reserved smile: "I have been away from my hometown for many years and was just looking for someone to ask about the situation back home. Thank you, young master."

Having gained both wealth and fortune, he was beaming with pride. Suddenly remembering something, he hurriedly said, "Young Master, the amount of funds is no longer a problem, but raising such a large sum will take some time. My master hopes to deliver it in three installments over two years, each installment being three thousand two hundred gold coins. What does the Young Master think?"

Yan Yi clapped his hands, and two more people walked into the hall. This time, however, they were not beautiful women, but burly men carrying a wooden box.

"Uncle Ji, please take a look. I have already begun to survey the geography and open up shipping routes in various countries in Southeast Asia. The 'transit fees' from various powers along the way alone amount to a huge sum."

"Ten days ago, the first fleet set sail. Several ships are under construction in the port, and another twenty or thirty ships are being purchased. The money spent every day is like flowing water."

"Such an important matter cannot be delayed in the slightest. If there is any interruption along the way, all previous efforts will be in vain. I have no objection to Your Excellency's wish to send the funds in three installments, but I hope the first installment will be six thousand four hundred gold coins."

Yan Yi pointed to the scrolls of documents inside the box and poured out his grievances to Yi Ji, every sentence conveying the same meaning: Quickly send me the money!

Yi Ji took out several scrolls of documents from the box, looked at them carefully for a while, and thought to himself: "Since there has been progress in the affairs of Nanyang, and there are so many documents as evidence, I should be able to persuade Liu Biao."

What he didn't know was that only 10% of the documents in the box were genuine; the rest were all forged on Yan Yi's orders.

As for the development of Southeast Asia, it was at a standstill, and the so-called smooth progress was nothing but a lie.

“Since you are in trouble, I will do my best to help you. I have brought three thousand two hundred gold coins with me. Please accept them.”

Yan Yi was overjoyed upon hearing this. In this critical moment, his 'second brother' was still the one he could rely on.

With these three thousand two hundred gold coins, he could quickly advance local government affairs, and he could also begin to work on the maritime trade in Southeast Asia.

Yan and Yi were overjoyed, and the atmosphere was as warm as the spring sunshine.

That evening, Yan Yi hosted a banquet at his residence, inviting all the civil and military officials to accompany him and showing great hospitality to Yi Ji. The next day, he personally invited Yi Ji to the military camp to observe the drills of various units.

Yi Ji emerged from the military camp, a look of deep emotion on his face, and said, "Only today do I understand why Wu Jing and the others were defeated by the young lord."

Yan Yi spoke humbly for a few moments, then revealed his other purpose: "Although our army is elite, its strength is inferior to Yuan Shu's. If Yuan's army arrives, I fear we will be unable to withstand them. Please convey to Your Excellency that I hope Your Excellency can exert pressure on Yuan's army in the two commanderies of Nanyang and Jiangxia!"

Yi Ji understood the difficulty of this matter. Liu Biao's support for Yan Yi was intended to use Yan Yi to strike at Yuan Shu, not for him to personally intervene. Liu Biao had consistently strived to avoid dragging Jingzhou into the war.

He looked troubled and stammered, "I will do my best."

At this moment, Yi Ji also realized that Yan Yi had made thorough preparations this time, just waiting for him, this fat sheep, to arrive.

Fearing that Yan Yi might make new demands, he quickly took his leave, ignoring Yan Yi's attempts to persuade him to stay, and left Guangde overnight to return to Xiangyang.

Two days later, four reports of good news were successively presented to Yan Yi.

"In the eighth month of autumn, on the day of Guiyou, we captured Linshui, beheaded 873 people, and the rest surrendered. We seized 5.3 million coins, 6,000 shi of grain, 1,100 bolts of cloth, 30,000 jin of copper, and 45,000 jin of iron."

"On the day of Xinji in the eighth month of autumn, I was defeated at Qian."

"On the day of Wuyin in the eighth month of autumn, I was defeated in Huai'an."

When the army arrived at the walls of Anji, the city's defender, Ding Ye, led his troops to surrender.

The conquest of the four southeastern cities of Danyang proceeded exceptionally smoothly, with the enemy arriving and falling almost daily. The garrison in Anji surrendered without a fight.

"This is truly a treasure trove for military strategists."

Yan Yi closed the bamboo slips, tapping his fingers rhythmically on the table, his eyes thoughtful.

Although Danyang is not as wealthy as Wujun, it is rich in copper and iron, and has a large number of Yue soldiers to recruit. It is the premier military stronghold in Jiangdong. If one day he can establish a career in Jiangdong and expand into Huainan and Jingxiang, Danyang will provide him with a large amount of military equipment and soldiers.

Now that he controls nine cities, how to arrange the garrison troops in each city has become his top priority and will determine his next strategic plan.

Yan Yi pondered for a long time before unfolding a blank bamboo scroll, holding a wolf-hair brush, and slowly putting pen to paper.

"Immediately order Fan Yan to lead three thousand elite troops and five thousand city garrison soldiers to garrison Huai'an."

"Immediately order Si Qing to conscript three thousand people from various villages and towns in Qiantang to bolster the army."

"Two thousand troops were stationed at Yuqian and Mingling, and one thousand troops were stationed at Anji, Linshui, Yuncheng, and Rencheng."

Yan Yi sometimes wrote, sometimes pondered, and it took him more than an hour to finish writing the general's order.

After the military order was written, it was not stamped. Instead, someone was ordered to copy it and send it to the commanders of each unit so that they could submit their opinions before a final decision was made.

In this military plan, Yan Yi divided the cities under his jurisdiction into three military zones, centered on Guzhang, Huai'an, and Qiantang.

Therefore, he personally oversaw the Zhang military region, aiming to resist the armies of Yuan Shu and Sun Ce.

The Qiantang Military Region was established to defend against Wang Lang.

The Huai'an Military Region was established not only to defend Zulang, but also to prepare for the subsequent capture of the six counties of Dannan.

The six counties of Dannan are an important area connecting southern Anhui and western Zhejiang, but due to the presence of the Yue people and bandits, they have long been a no-man's-land.

This place is easy to attack but difficult to defend, and the people are also fierce and unruly. Even if it is taken over, it will be difficult to govern. As a result, the surrounding major powers regard it as a burden. Although they are eyeing it covetously, no one is willing to spend the effort to manage it.

However, for Yan Yi, who was eager to expand his territory, Danan was the most suitable place for him to conquer at the moment.

There are two reasons: First, the surrounding territories have all been occupied by various major powers, and he is currently facing threats from Yuan Shu and Sun Ce, so it is not advisable to make any more powerful enemies in the short term. Second, Dannan is the only region that can be conquered with only a little over ten thousand troops, and governing Dannan, the biggest problem, is not difficult for him to solve.

If he could conquer Dannan in one fell swoop, he would control nearly half of Danyang County's territory, thus becoming the most powerful force in Danyang. The mountain people of the six counties of Dannan, having long been free from major invasions, were thriving and could provide a large number of soldiers, making them a veritable virgin land for military service.

Yan Yi's next recruitment target was these fierce mountain tribes.

As the war progresses, replenishing the army will become a top priority. He cannot continue to recruit soldiers from places like Qiantang, as that would severely damage local agricultural production.

To drain a pond to catch all the fish is not the act of a wise person!
(End of this chapter)