Three Kingdoms: Jiangdong is no longer a rat

Chapter 221 A Gift for Xiao Xiang
The rapid expansion of territory delighted the entire Yan family, but it also curbed Yan Yi's expansionist ambitions. It was like a speeding carriage, loaded with more and more goods, until the horses could no longer bear it and needed a rest, requiring new carriages before it could continue its journey.

Yan Yi keenly perceived the many potential dangers.

After more than half a year of conquest, he controlled seventeen cities, but these cities were scattered across a narrow region stretching hundreds of miles from north to south, bordering numerous forces such as Yuan Shu, Liu Bei, Xu Gong, Wang Lang, and Zu Lang, making it a typical case of being unable to attend to both ends.

If all the enemies unite to attack, this narrow battle line can easily be cut in half, and each city will be left in a dangerous situation of fighting alone and being isolated and helpless.

In another two weeks, it will be the dead of winter. As the saying goes, "When the weather is cold and the ground is frozen, soldiers are restless, carts and horses are unusable, and supply lines are difficult to maintain; this is an unfavorable situation due to the weather." The concept of "weather" has always been a crucial factor that has constrained and influenced ancient warfare.

When the earth is covered in snow, the bandits lurking deep in the mountains will surely be plunged into a desperate situation with no food to eat. At that time, these starving and freezing outlaws will emerge like hungry wolves on the snowy plains, plundering all sides.

As the saying goes, "Many ants can kill an elephant, and even a hero fears a crowd," let alone these bandits who were not ants, but vicious dogs with ravenous hunger. Every winter, the garrison troops and villagers in various places would be on high alert, day and night, not daring to relax their vigilance in the slightest.

These complex and severe factors forced Yan Yi to sheathe his sword and begin to focus all his efforts on consolidating the territory he had already occupied.

The surrounding forces watched him conquer the south and the north, gradually building up a vast territory. Amidst a mix of jealousy and fear, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.

We can now enjoy the New Year in peace.

Qu'a in Wu County, Dafenli.

The pines are covered in snow, and the cypresses are frosted with dew. A two-zhang-high blue stone tomb is draped in a layer of pure white, cold clothing, adding a touch of austere chill to its solemnity.

The eight characters on the stone tablet in front of the tomb, "Tomb of General Sun Jian, the Destroyer of the Barbarians," appear even more vigorous and awe-inspiring against the backdrop of frost and snow, as if recounting the heroic deeds of Sun Wentai in the past.

About a hundred paces to the east and west of Sun Jian’s tomb, there are two slightly smaller side mounds, each with a base diameter of over ten zhang and distinct layers of rammed earth, which is typical of the Han dynasty system for marquises.

Two side tombs stand guard over the main tomb like loyal and brave bodyguards, with the inscriptions on the tombstones reading "Tomb of General Xu Kun, Commander-in-Chief" and "Tomb of General Sun He, Commander-in-Chief of the Vanguard Army."

Before the three tombs, hundreds of people stood solemnly like a forest. Those dressed in mourning clothes stood with their heads bowed, their white mourning robes fluttering in the north wind, blending with the pale earthen mounds to create a somber scene.

Yan Yi, dressed in plain hemp robes and holding a three-legged bronze cup, walked along the spirit path to Sun Jian's tomb, bowed three times, poured libations, and personally read the sacrificial text.

"Alas, Sun Gongwentai! In the past, you wielded your sword across the four directions, your spirit encompassing ten thousand miles, defeating the enemy and vanquishing the invaders, your might shaking the land of China."

"Born a match for ten thousand men, you died a hero among ghosts and gods. In the past, you displayed your might at Hulao Pass, causing Dong Zhuo to lose his courage; the man of Yang brandished his halberd, and Hua Xiong was beheaded. The sons of Jiangdong, upon hearing your name, can still draw their swords and strike pillars, filled with righteous indignation."

Sun Ce stood not far behind Yan Yi, listening to his moving and heart-wrenching eulogy, and recalling his late father's voice and appearance, he couldn't help but burst into tears.

The rest of the Sun clan members were also weeping.

After offering sacrifices to Sun Jian, Yan Yi then offered sacrifices to Xu Kun and Sun He.

Xu Kun and Sun He's family members gazed at his retreating figure, their expressions shifting several times. The hatred hidden deep in their hearts melted away unknowingly, transforming into a complex mix of emotions that were difficult to describe.

Although there was still some resistance, it had to be admitted that Yan Yi had treated the Sun family with great courtesy and trust, far exceeding what Yuan Shu could do, and had also taken good care of them, the surviving family members.

Now the interests of the entire Sun clan are tied to Yan Yi. Most of the clan members have begun to get closer to Yan Yi. It is difficult for the few remaining relatives to change the attitude of the clan members. They can only force themselves to gradually adapt.

The dead are gone, but the living can be pursued. Is it more tempting to have power and wealth that are within reach?

After Yan Yi finished offering sacrifices to Sun Jian, he clearly felt that the Sun clan members were even more friendly towards him. Even when Sun Ce spoke to him, his tone was unusually respectful.

In high spirits, he disregarded the bitter cold and led his civil and military officials, along with three thousand elite troops, on a non-stop journey to Moling.

During the march, it could be seen that the soldiers had all changed into warm cotton-padded clothes, and their morale was very high.

The textile bureau in Yuncheng is now on the right track. The number of looms has increased from the initial two hundred to one thousand. With a sufficient supply of silk, the daily output of cloth is as much as nine thousand zhang.

The cotton-padded clothes worn by all the soldiers were supplied by the Yuncheng Textile Bureau.

The cotton-padded clothes were all made of double-layered fabric. The cotton-padded clothes of ordinary soldiers were filled with cotton wool or waste silk, while the cotton-padded clothes of officers were filled with wool and other materials. The materials used for the higher-ranking officers were even more exquisite, and some were even made with fine fur from mink or fox armpits.

Yan Yi tried on the cotton-padded coat and found it to be quite warm. After all, it was made in his own weaving workshop, and no one dared to cut corners.

However, this meant that his grand plan to expand into Southeast Asia had to be delayed once again. The reason was simple: his money and resources were only enough to meet domestic needs, leaving him with no surplus to further develop Southeast Asia.

Fortunately, Liu Biao provided 6,400 gold coins, which relieved their immediate crisis. Otherwise, they probably wouldn't have survived the winter.

Yan Yi was eager to start making money, but unfortunately, the newly occupied territories had already been thoroughly plundered by Yuan Shu, leaving him with very few easy targets.

This situation alerted him, making him realize that squeezing money from easy targets was merely a temporary measure. In the long run, he needed to manage his own territory well; only a large population and thriving industries could form the foundation of a robust economy.

Thinking of this, a trace of worry involuntarily appeared between his brows. Although he no longer lacked generals to lead troops, he could not find many talented people who were knowledgeable about finance and good at managing civil affairs.

"I don't know if Zhou Yu and Liu Ye have set off yet. I need to urge Yuan Shu again."

"It seems we need to find a solution through Sheng Xian."

His body swayed gently with the bumps of the carriage as he murmured to himself.

Call!
The sound of a knight reining in his horse could be heard outside the carriage. Then the curtain was gently lifted, and Sun Jing, holding a soap pouch, bowed and entered.

"Young Master, Xu Gong has sent a letter."

Yan Yi took the soap pouch, untied the rope at the opening, removed the seal, took out a piece of silk, glanced at it casually, and then tossed it aside. "Please trouble Youtai to reply to my letter. If I want the city, tell him to go ask Yuan Shu for it."

Sun Jing smiled slightly, nodded, bent down to pick up the silk, and put it into her sleeve.

He was a magnanimous and tranquil person who had never liked the busy and hectic life of officialdom. However, since Sun had just joined Yan Yi's service, many matters required his presence and management. In addition, Yan Yi earnestly persuaded him to stay, so he reluctantly agreed to remain in office.

After a while, Sun Jing found working under Yan Yi to be quite interesting. Yan Yi's way of thinking and behavior were unlike anyone he knew. He was neither bound by conventions nor bound by formalities. From time to time, Yan Yi would utter some novel ideas that Sun Jing had never heard of before and some words that Sun Jing could not understand, giving him a unique feeling he had never experienced before.

Sun Jing sometimes even wondered if Yan Yi was picked up from somewhere by Yan Baihu. Otherwise, how could Yan Baihu, with his abilities, have raised such an outstanding son?

"Oh, right, Youtai, I prepared a gift for Xiaoxiang. Could you take it to her for me?"

Yan Yi suddenly remembered something, bent down and took out an object wrapped in a silk scarf from the hidden compartment under the couch. It was about the size of two palms.

When Sun Jing heard that he had prepared a gift for Sun Shangxiang, her heart was filled with sweetness. She smiled and reached out to take it. When she held it, she felt that it was quite heavy and had a slightly cool touch.

He eagerly untied the silk scarf, his gaze immediately drawn to the object in his hand, unable to look away for a moment.

As far as the eye can see, there is a crystal-clear glass box containing twelve glass sculptures, which are lifelike and shimmering with light and shadow.

Yan Yi leaned forward slightly, pointing to the glass Roman military formation toy he had bought from Tumpa, and introduced it: "This is a glass military formation made by the Qin people. The first row is the early vanguard of the Qin Dynasty, equipped with javelins and short swords. The ones in the middle wearing white robes are the royal guards founded by Augustus. The red ones are Balearic slingers, the yellow ones are Cretan archers, the black ones are Numidian cavalry, and the largest one is the war elephant army organized by Hannibal."

Sun Jing listened intently, but her face showed a blank expression. Were all the names of the people of Qin so difficult to pronounce? No wonder they were a barbarian land. How could they compare to my glorious Han Dynasty, with its flourishing culture and martial prowess!
Although he despised Rome, he knew that the gift in his hand was extremely precious.

Glass beads were also known as Biliuli or Five-Colored Jade in this era. The Book of Han records: "During the reign of Emperor Wu, the Kingdom of Jibin presented glass beads, which were ranked alongside pearls and coral." Their value was only slightly less than that of jewelry, and the finest pieces were even equivalent to jewelry.

Many alchemists believed that the glass beads were "transformed from the essence of gold and jade in the alchemical furnace, and made with medicine, resembling real pearls," which further enhanced the value of the glass beads.

Because of their high value, merchants from the Western Regions often hid the glass beads in the stomachs of camels when they brought them to the Han Dynasty to prevent theft.

Even the lowest quality glass bead can be exchanged for dozens of bushels of rice.

If even a single bead is so expensive, imagine how valuable a complete set of exquisitely crafted sculptures must be. Only royalty would dare to use such things; for an ordinary person to display them in their home would only bring misfortune.

Sun Jing liked it more and more as she looked at it, holding it tightly in her hands, afraid that she might accidentally drop it and break it.

He was about to thank Yan Yi when he suddenly remembered his expectations of Sun Shangxiang as 'virtuous, quiet, and chaste.' Looking down at the soldier statue in his hand, a strange expression appeared on his face.

The item is good, but it's not suitable for Madam Sun's 'grand plan' to cultivate Sun Shangxiang. Now, in order to refine Sun Shangxiang's character, Madam Wu even forbids her from playing with the wooden sword.

"What, Youtai, are you not satisfied with this gift?" Yan Yi glanced at him sideways.

"Satisfied, satisfied, thank you very much, young master, Xiang'er will definitely like it."

Sun Jing quickly thanked him with a smile, and after leaving the carriage, she solemnly ordered someone to put the gift away. She then found a house nearby, ground ink, picked up a brush, and, imitating Yan Yi's tone, wrote a letter back to Xu Gong.

Upon receiving the reply, Xu Gong was furious. He swung his sleeve, and several Yue ware celadon pieces beside him fell to the ground, shattering instantly.

The Battle of Piling cost him four thousand troops, and the loss of the three cities of Qu'a after his capture was a disgrace to him. All of this was thanks to Yan Yi.

Wu Commandery Commandant Sun Xiao picked up the crumpled silk from the ground, and upon closer inspection, a surge of anger shot through his head.

He also harbored a deep hatred for Yan Yi. Recently, rumors have circulated that Yan Yi has submitted a petition to the court on behalf of Yan Baihu, requesting the position of Commandant of Wu Commandery. If this is approved by His Majesty, his situation will be extremely awkward. Given Xu Gong's blind loyalty to His Majesty, he might indeed be relieved of his commandant position.

"My lord, all land under heaven belongs to the emperor! As the prefect of Wu Commandery appointed by the imperial court, your recapture of the three counties of Qu'a is a loyal and righteous act that secures the nation and comforts the people. Yet this scoundrel Yan Yi dares to obstruct the emperor's rule by falsely using the name of the traitor Yuan Shu! What is Yuan Shu? And what is Yan Yi? These two are clearly showing contempt for the emperor's majesty; their hearts deserve to be punished!" Sun Xiaoyi said righteously.

His words struck a chord with Xu Gong.

“The traitor Yan’s plot to rebel is now obvious. We are paid by the emperor, so it is only right that we kill this villain for His Majesty.” Xu Gong clenched his fist tightly, then suddenly relaxed it, his brows furrowing even deeper. He sighed and said, “However, this fiend has grown strong, and I am afraid that he cannot be subdued in a short time.”

Sun Xiao's eyes darted around, and he smiled sinisterly: "The traitor Yan is rampant and has endangered the peace of Jiangdong. All the counties and prefectures regard him as a major threat. How can we allow him to remain unscathed in this great cause of eliminating the traitor? Your Excellency should personally go to Kuaiji, explain the advantages and disadvantages, and join forces with Prefect Wang to rally the counties and prefectures of Jiangdong to jointly eliminate this villain!"

Xu Gong had long harbored this intention. He stroked his beard and said in a deep voice, "That's exactly what I was thinking. Go and make preparations quickly. I will set off for Shanyin tomorrow. However, the Yan bandit is powerful. Although the counties and prefectures of Jiangdong harbor resentment, they are mostly afraid of his fierce power. If we can get the help of Liu Bei of Xuzhou and Liu Jing of Jingzhou, how can we not destroy the Yan bandit!"

Sun Xiao was startled upon hearing this. He knew about Xu Gong's secret dealings with Liu Bei, but how could Liu Biao not know?
"My lord, Liu Biao and Yan Yi are allies. Why would they help us?" he asked, voicing his doubts.

Xu Gong chuckled, his eyes narrowing slightly, and coldly snorted, "Heaven's sins can be forgiven, but self-inflicted sins cannot be escaped! The traitor Yan has already secretly reached a two-year ceasefire agreement with the rebel Yuan. Tell me, how furious will Liu Jingsheng be when he hears this news?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Xiao's blood surged, and his face lit up with joy. He opened his mouth, but then frowned deeply: "Liu Jingsheng is far away in Jingzhou. Even if he harbors resentment towards the traitor Yan, the mountains and rivers separate him, and he cannot reach him. What can be done?"

Xu Gong stroked his long beard, his face mysterious, and said in a low voice, "The Prefect of Yuzhang, Zhou Shu, is seriously ill and unlikely to recover soon. Liu Biao has already chosen someone to succeed him."

Yuzhang Commandery had a smaller population than Kuaiji Commandery, a smaller economy than Wu Commandery, and fewer soldiers and resources than Danyang Commandery, but it was the largest of the commanderies in Jiangdong. It was a strategic hub connecting Jing, Yang, and Jiao provinces, and an important grain-producing area in Jiangdong. The Book of Han states that "the people there ate rice and fish soup and had no fear of famine."

A county with such an important geographical location naturally attracted the covetous eyes of many forces.

During this era, the various warlords not only formed alliances but also actively cultivated vassal states. For example, after the death of Chen Wen, the governor of Yangzhou, Yuan Shao hastily appointed Yuan Yi to take charge of Yangzhou. On his way to his post, Yuan Yi was killed by Yuan Shu, who then quickly appointed Chen Yu as the governor of Yangzhou. Within a short period of ten months, the governorship of Yangzhou changed hands like a game of chess, fully demonstrating the treacherous power struggles of a chaotic era.

For this reason, Sun Xiao was convinced that Liu Biao was using others to remotely control Yuzhang. He took a deep breath and felt his mood instantly become extremely comfortable: "Even if Liu Jingsheng is unwilling to antagonize Yan Ze for the time being, as long as he no longer supports Yan Ze as before, it will be like losing an arm for Yan Ze."

Xu Gong agreed wholeheartedly, and he and Sun Xiao exchanged a wicked grin.

(End of this chapter)