Three Kingdoms: Jiangdong is no longer a rat

Chapter 235: A cloud-piercing arrow, thousands of troops come to meet
Yan Yi's eyes were sharp as he looked at the silk on the table, knowing that this was the usual trick Emperor Xian Liu Xie used: the edict in the belt.

When discussing imperial edicts hidden in belts, the most famous one is Emperor Xian's secret edict to Dong Cheng, in which he secretly contacted Prince Fu, Liu Bei, and others to plot the assassination of Cao Cao.

However, under absolute power and authority, no amount of scheming can shake its resolve. Cao Cao easily thwarted Dong Cheng and his associates' plot and executed most of them.

Yan Yi didn't know how many more such secret edicts existed, but what he saw before him indicated that their numbers were far from small. Liu Xie, confined to the cold palace, bore unimaginable psychological pressure. Each secret edict, each plea for help, carried his hope of escaping his puppet life.

Every word written in blood on the secret edict was horrifying. The words revealed the man himself, vividly portraying a pitiful and helpless young emperor.

Liu Xie is only thirteen years old this year. By the standards of later generations, this age is still in elementary school.

"I, being of no virtue, suffered misfortune in my youth and was exiled to the western lands, eventually being moved to Tangwei. At that time, I was like a hanging tassel, but fortunately, the Heavenly Mandate had not been cut off, and I was able to uphold the orthodox lineage of my ancestors. Five years have passed since I ascended the throne. Thanks to the spirits of my ancestors, I have survived from danger and restored order from chaos, thus causing the world to look up to me with admiration for righteousness and to look forward to peace."

"But Guan Nie has rebelled and plotted rebellion, thus alienating himself from Heaven. He has incurred the wrath of the gods and the resentment of the people, and has been abandoned by all. I, in my humble position, entrust myself to the people, and I am deeply concerned about their difficulties, as if I were wading through a deep abyss. If not me, who would dare to defy Heaven's wrath without fear of its calamity?"

"Today, no resentment in the world is greater than this; I am determined to eliminate it, and without you generals, I am incapable of doing so. I fear that those around me will not trust me, so I entrust the Imperial Secretariat to you in my belt. I would rather die ten thousand deaths than refuse. You must plan this!"

After reading the edict hidden in the belt, Yan Yi sighed inwardly. Imperial power was indeed the most alluring thing in the world. For it, parents and brothers could turn against each other. Even he, who in his previous life had barely killed a few chickens, was now plotting to assassinate Liu Xie.
woohoo
Suddenly, I heard a few sobs, a mixture of weeping and wailing, and I couldn't tell if they were from a man or a woman.

Han Ai covered his face with his sleeve and wept, saying, "Li, that traitor, has no respect for the emperor and tramples on the moral order. He is no different from a beast. Once, during a court assembly, Li, dissatisfied with the rewards he was given, chopped the imperial desk with his sword, and wood chips splashed onto His Majesty's robes. Later, he ordered his troops to surround the palace gates and force His Majesty to give the rewards he demanded."

"Li the traitor cut back on the palace's expenses, forcing His Majesty to live on dates and vegetables, and even when His Majesty's robes were torn, they were not allowed to be replaced."

"Li the traitor killed Your Majesty's close ministers and forced Your Majesty to witness his atrocities."

Han Ai recounted Li Cui's crimes one by one, almost crying her eyes out.

If Liu Bei were here, he would surely weep with unshed tears to express his loyalty. But Yan Yi simply couldn't muster such a gesture. He suddenly drew his sword, cleaved the corner of the table in two, and roared, "Li Cui, you treacherous dog, I swear to kill you!"

Han Ai stole a glance at him, sobbing as she took a handkerchief from her sleeve and wiped away her tears. She choked out, "I beg you, my lord... I beg you, my lord, to save His Majesty!"

Yan Yi sheathed his sword and said in a deep voice, "If Your Majesty has any orders, I will gladly die for them. What does Your Majesty need me to do?"

Han Ai wiped away his tears and leaned closer to whisper, "Li the traitor is quite close to you, my lord. Why not take him by surprise?" His withered hand emerged from his sleeve and made a throat-slitting gesture. "Once this villain is eliminated, you, my lord, will be the greatest contributor to restoring order to the world. His Majesty will surely reward you handsomely. Let alone a mere prefect of Danyang, even the governor of Yangzhou would be a matter of His Majesty's pen."

Those who supported Liu Xie considered Yan Yi a suitable candidate to assassinate Li Cui. This was because Yan and Li not only had no conflict of interest, but their relationship had also grown increasingly close. If Yan Yi were to send assassins disguised as envoys to launch a surprise attack during the presentation of gifts, there was indeed a good chance of success.

Yan Yi pondered for a moment, realizing that this was an excellent opportunity to get close to Liu Xie, and said without hesitation, "Since Your Majesty has entrusted me with such an important task, I will gladly die for it!"

'Heaven bless the Han Dynasty! Heaven bless His Majesty! Who would have thought that in these turbulent times, there would still be such a loyal and devoted subject!'

Han Ai was extremely excited. Looking at Yan Yi now, she felt that the other man exuded an air of loyalty and righteousness.

"What does Your Excellency intend to do?" he asked impatiently.

Yan Yi paused briefly, then proceeded to elaborate on an assassination plan. From the assassins' disguises to the timing of the attack, from the escape route to the follow-up support, every step was meticulously planned and flawless.

In the end, even he himself began to believe it, as if he really was going to assassinate Li Cui.

Han Ai nodded repeatedly, satisfied with the assassination plan, and added some supplements to it based on the actual situation in Chang'an.

The two discussed for half an hour and finally finalized all the details of the assassination plan.

Han Ai dared not linger and rose to take his leave. Before leaving, he discreetly tucked the imperial edict into his sleeve.

Yan Yi saw his actions and knew that he was just a pawn that could be discarded at any time in the other party's heart. He did not point it out, but smiled and sent the other party out of the room.

As he watched Han Ai's figure disappear into the darkness of the night, the smile on his face quickly vanished, replaced by a thoughtful expression.

After returning to his bedroom, Yan Yi was wide awake. He lay on the bed with his eyes open, constantly refining the details of assassinating Liu Xie in his mind.

The next morning, the sky was as clear as ever, and the snow on the ground was gradually melting under the sunlight.

Yan Yi arrived at Qiantang Official Temple by car, went straight into the main hall of the back courtyard, and summoned Si Qing, Sun Jing, and others.

Sun Jing has now been appointed as the Wuguan Yuan of Danyang, one of the main subordinate officials assisting the prefect. Si Qing, on the other hand, has been appointed as the Junbing Cao Yuan and Zhechong Duwei, in charge of the prefectural and municipal troops.

Both the county soldiers and the prefectural soldiers are garrison forces, and Yan Yi still regards Si Qing as the only choice to guard the rear.

A new broom sweeps clean, and many civil and military officials were drunk at last night's victory banquet. But today, not a single one was absent; they all began their official duties at dawn. Upon hearing Yan Yi's summons, they hurriedly adjusted their official robes and rushed over, quickly lining up in two rows below the hall.

Yan Yi sat up straight, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, and asked, "What's the situation in Wu County?"

Yin Li straightened his hat and stepped forward, bowing and saying, "Reporting to Your Majesty, since Xu Gong and Wang Lang issued the summons in Liu Yao's name, except for Jiujiang and Lujiang counties, all counties in Yangzhou have sent envoys to Wu. Tao Qian and Liu Bei of Xuzhou have also sent envoys."

This was extremely bad news. Yan Yi frowned slightly: "What are your thoughts on this?"

The expressions of those below were solemn. With a major battle imminent, the fact that all the counties except for Jiujiang and Lujiang, which were controlled by Yuan Shu, were showing goodwill towards Xu Gong and Wang Lang was undoubtedly a dangerous sign. What was even more unsettling was that even Xuzhou, which bordered Yangzhou, had openly joined the fray, cheering on Xu and Wang. This move would surely greatly enhance their prestige and influence.

Sun Jing stroked his long beard and said in a deep voice, "Wang Lang was once a staff member under Tao Qian, and the two had a close relationship. Xu Gong has also been in close contact with Liu Bei recently. With such connections, it will be difficult to keep Xuzhou out of the fray."

Seeing that everyone was silent and helpless, Yan Yi's gaze suddenly swept across the hall below, finally landing on Zhou Yu, who seemed lost in thought: "Gongjin, do you have a solution?"

Gongjin, Gongjin, why are you calling me so intimately!
Zhou Yu reluctantly opened his eyes, subtly glancing at Liu Ye beside him for help. He had truly witnessed Yan Yi's shamelessness. He was even being dragged into such an important meeting. If this continued, he would be unable to clear his name, even if he jumped into the Yellow River.

A few days ago, Zhou Shang even wrote to him to ask if he had already pledged allegiance to Yan Yi, which made him so depressed that he felt like vomiting blood.

Liu Ye knew Yan Yi's thoughts well and was also very willing to make this happen. Faced with his friend's pleading look, a slight embarrassment appeared on his face. He turned his head and stared intently at the bluestone on the ground, as if trying to find a flower on it.

Zhou Yu felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head. He turned his gaze to Yan Yi and said with a wry smile, "Your Excellency is so calm and composed. You must already have a good plan in mind. Why make things difficult for me?"

Yan Yi, with a look that said, "I'm going to listen to you," and a slight smile on his lips, said, "Recently, the army's food supplies have been tight, and I'm afraid we will no longer be able to support the noble's two thousand troops."

Having spent some time with him, Zhou Yu knew he meant what he said, and his handsome face flushed slightly with anger. After taking a deep breath, he said stiffly, "Why doesn't Your Excellency write to Liu Biao, Yuan Shao, and Yuan Shu, asking them to put pressure on Xuzhou? With these three pressuring us, how dare Xuzhou act rashly? If that's still not enough, you might as well ask the Emperor to issue an edict. Tao Qian and Liu Bei have always prided themselves on loyalty and righteousness; they certainly wouldn't dare to disobey the imperial decree."

Yan Yi, with a satisfied expression, clapped his hands and laughed, "Gongjin's strategy is exactly what I wanted! The Minister said, 'A willingness to ask questions leads to abundance, while self-reliance leads to narrow-mindedness.' There is also a saying, 'Listen to both sides and you will be enlightened; listen to only one side and you will be misled.' A great man needs the assistance of wise and resourceful people to achieve great things!"

Suddenly, he stood up and bowed deeply, saying solemnly, "I wish to appoint Gongjin as my military advisor and Ziyang as my chief clerk. I hope you two will not refuse. You need not worry about matters at home; I will arrange them properly so that you will have no worries."

Zhou Yu and Liu Ye looked at each other, both stunned by this sudden appointment.

The people below the hall were also stunned and whispered among themselves.

Both the military advisor and the chief clerk were important positions in the army. The military advisor was in charge of overall military strategy and held a position equivalent to the chief strategist. Although the chief clerk's position was slightly lower in rank, he was in charge of confidential documents, and only trusted and capable ministers could hold this position.

Zhou Yu and Liu Ye had not achieved any merit, only offering a few strategies, yet Yan Yi entrusted them with such an important position. The grandeur of the honor and the immense pressure they bore were comparable to Emperor Gaozu of the Former Han Dynasty's investiture of Han Xin at the altar.

In an instant, a variety of complex gazes, some filled with envy and others with jealousy, were cast upon Zhou Yu and Liu Ye.

Liu Ye felt his blood surging, and the words "a scholar dies for his confidant" resonated in his heart. Without thinking, he bowed deeply and said, "I dare not disobey your kindness, my lord. I am willing to serve you like a dog or a horse!"

"With Ziyang's help, what great things cannot be accomplished!"

Yan Yi was overjoyed. He quickly walked to Liu Ye, helped him up, held his hand tightly, and looked at him with a beaming smile.

Liu Ye was a strategist of the same type as Zhuge Liang, possessing extraordinary insights into the general trend of the world. Although his political talent was inferior to Zhuge Liang's, his strategic vision was on par with Zhuge Liang's. In the words of later generations, he was a first-rate strategist.

Having this person serve is no less than having a thousand troops.

But Liu Ye alone was not enough; Zhou Yu was someone he was determined to have.

Yan Yi looked at Zhou Yu with expectant eyes: "Gongjin."

Zhou Yu instinctively avoided his intense gaze, his mind in turmoil.

All the pent-up resentment in their hearts melted away like spring snow meeting the sun. Although Yan Yi's actions were somewhat excessive, his heartfelt sincerity was hard not to move people.

Yan Yi is now showing signs of pacifying Jiangdong. If Zhou accepts the offer, and Yan Yi establishes a foothold in Jiangdong, the Zhou family will immediately prosper again. This is a gamble, but also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, with a high probability of winning.

A thousand thoughts surged in Zhou Yu's mind like the tides of a river, finally turning into a long sigh: "I am deeply grateful for your kindness, my lord. However, this matter is of great importance, please allow me to consider it carefully."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall paled. In their astonishment, they glared at him angrily, as if rebuking him for being ungrateful.

Yan Yi understood Zhou Yu's concerns and knew that his actions today were somewhat abrupt. He said gently, "Gongjin, please relax and think it over carefully. I will wait for good news."

Upon hearing this, the crowd erupted in another uproar, none of them understanding why Yan Yi treated Zhou Yu with such special regard.

Yan Yi turned and walked back to his couch, ordering, "Immediately issue a proclamation in the name of myself and Li Huan, inviting the heroes of Yang, Jing, Yu and Xu prefectures to attend the Qiantang meeting."

Since Xu Gong liked to issue surrender orders, he decided to show Xu Gong what a real surrender order was!

At noon that day, the four gates of Qiantang were opened wide, and hundreds of riders carrying black bags containing the surrender orders galloped out of the city gates and headed in all directions.

At the same time, dozens of warships slowly sailed away from Qiantang Port, startling flocks of seagulls, and headed north along the coastline.

Within ten days, Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, Liu Biao, Yuan Shu, and Tao Qian successively sent envoys with congratulatory gifts to Qiantang.

Yuan Shao, Liu Biao, and Yan Yi were allies, so it was only natural for them to send envoys to offer their congratulations.

When Cao Cao stepped forward to support Yan Yi at this time, he was actually pursuing the same idea as Liu Biao, both of whom wanted to join forces with Yan Yi to attack Yuan Shu. The two sides had already been secretly communicating.

Yuan Shu was racking his brains to repair his relationship with Yan Yi in order to dissuade Yan Yi from assisting Liu Biao in launching an attack on Huainan. Although he was extremely frustrated, he was the first force to respond positively.

Tao Qian and Liu Bei, out of consideration for Li Huan's status as an imperial envoy and due to pressure from various parties, had no choice but to feign compliance and reluctantly send their envoys to the meeting.

For a time, the entire Jiangdong region fell into silence.

All the factions were stunned by the grand gesture Yan Yi had made. What was he trying to do? Was he imitating Duke Wen of Jin by holding a meeting of the feudal lords?

Although it was far from a full-fledged alliance, the fact that five seemingly unrelated behemoths simultaneously sent envoys to offer their congratulations was enough to leave countless people speechless.

Upon receiving the news, Xu Gong and Wang Lang were completely dumbfounded, like frogs croaking at the bottom of a well suddenly seeing an eagle fly over the well opening.

After much persuasion, they finally convinced Tao Qian and Liu Bei, who prioritized stabilizing Xuzhou and were reluctant to get involved in foreign affairs, to send envoys to Wu County to lend support. Little did they know that their opponents had effortlessly gathered the powerful rulers of five provinces. How the hell were they supposed to fight now?
(End of this chapter)