Double penetration: This Three Kingdoms has dragon energy

Chapter 124 Shocking Events: The Hua, Zheng, and Wang Clans' Campaign Against Dong Zhuo and Other Warlords!

Before Dong Zhuo entered the capital, Hua Xin had been an official in the imperial court.

Therefore, he had a fairly clear understanding of the cause and effect of the feud between Ji Qiu and the Yuan family.

At the same time, he also knew how much effort Yuan Wei had put into dealing with Ji Qiu!

They mobilized powerful families from the four surrounding continents of Taishan County to block the four roads of Taishan County, prohibiting any caravans from entering or leaving.

This is going to trap and kill Ji Qiu!

Faced with such an economic blockade, even if Ji Qiu didn't die, he should have been trapped half to death.

How could they possibly still have the strength to break out of Taishan County and occupy Qi County and Le'an County?
"Could it be a method left to him by the late emperor? Or is it that Wang Yue is secretly helping him?" Hua Xin wondered to himself.

He knew that Ji Qiu was actually a pawn of the late Emperor Liu Hong.

Liu Hong arranged for Ji Qiu to be stationed in Taishan County so that Ji Qiu could counterbalance the powerful clans headed by the Yuan family.

Yuan Wei chose to use economic blockade against Ji Qiu in order to concentrate his forces to suppress Liu Hong.

In this situation, given the late Emperor Liu Hong's style of doing things, it was perfectly normal for him to leave Ji Qiu a way to break the deadlock.

At the same time, he also knew that Ji Qiu had a close relationship with Wang Yue, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Wang Yue's strength became known to the world after the battle at Zhaoyang Palace.

If he were to help Ji Qiu, Ji Qiu could also be able to break out of Taishan County.

“But whether it’s the methods left to him by the late emperor or Wang Yue’s secret assistance, Qingzhou is likely to be in for a lot of trouble!” Hua Xin said with a solemn expression.

If it was a method left by the late emperor, then he must have also left behind corresponding tasks.

This mission is most likely aimed at the powerful and influential families of the Yuan clan.

They, the Hua clan of Pingyuan, happen to belong to this political faction.

And since they were so close to Ji Qiu, Ji Qiu would probably feel embarrassed if he didn't hit them!
As for the possibility that Wang Yue intervened, things would likely be even worse.

Judging from the current situation of the Emperor and Wang Yue in Luoyang, they urgently need outside help.

Wang Yue's intervention at this time to help Ji Qiu leave Taishan County must mean he wanted to recruit Ji Qiu as an outsider.

But with Ji Qiu's current strength, how could he possibly provide any support to the Emperor and Wang Yue?
At the very least, Ji Qiu must be allowed to occupy a region in order to provide the Emperor and King Yue with limited support.

So their goal is to let Ji Qiu occupy Qingzhou?
Given the relationship between Ji Qiu and the powerful clans, if he were to actually occupy Qingzhou, what good would it do for the Hua family of Pingyuan?
"No, prepare for war! We must prepare for war! Prepare for war immediately!"

"We must not allow Ji Qiu to occupy Pingyuan County, and we must not allow Ji Qiu to occupy Qingzhou!"

"The best course of action is to unite with the powerful clans within Qingzhou to eliminate Ji Qiu, or send him back to Taishan County."

"Only in this way can the Hua family of Pingyuan survive!"

Having made this decision, Hua Xin immediately summoned her family members and began making arrangements.

As he made his arrangements, the entire Pingyuan County began to tense up.

Jinan Prefecture, Moshan.

A clear stream meanders past the foot of the mountain, like a graceful silver ribbon, winding and entwining.

As you climb the steps along the stream, you'll find yourself surrounded by dense bamboo groves. A gentle breeze rustles the bamboo leaves, as if they are whispering ancient stories.

On the mountainside, a magnificent Confucian academy comes into view.

With its upturned eaves, carved beams and painted rafters, red walls and black tiles, it exudes a simple and elegant beauty.

Above the main gate, a huge plaque bears four powerful characters: Moshan Academy!
Stepping into the academy, one finds a deep courtyard, ancient trees reaching for the sky, and lush pines and cypresses with abundant branches and leaves.

Inside the Dacheng Hall, the statues of Confucian sages are solemn and awe-inspiring.

The walls on both sides are painted with exquisite murals, all depicting stories of Confucian sages.

Hundreds of Confucian scholars, dressed in plain-colored robes, knelt on prayer mats on the ground, listening to Zheng Xuan lecturing from the high platform in front.

The scholars in the front row each had a blank bamboo slip open on their laps, their knuckles white from gripping the carving knife, their eyes fixed intently on Zheng Xuan.

The Confucian scholars in the back row stood on tiptoe and craned their necks, some even pressing their ears against the backs of those in front of them, afraid of missing a single word of the classics.

A child's sobs came from the corner, which were then covered by a rough hand, leaving only intermittent whimpers.

Suddenly a gust of wind swept through the hall, carrying the fragrance of locust blossoms from outside the corridor into the palace.

Zheng Xuan paused, raised his hand to catch the falling petals, and rubbed them between his fingertips, saying, "This is the image of 'lush leaves'."

Hundreds of eyes followed the fluttering petals, and in a trance, the falling blossoms outside the hall and the ink characters on the bamboo slips quietly overlapped, transforming into a galaxy of knowledge spanning thousands of years.

Suddenly, the bronze chimes under the corridor emitted a clear and melodious sound, the deep resonance reverberating through the painted beams and pillars, startling the bronze bells on the eaves into a tinkling sound.

The sound was like a command, and hundreds of Confucian scholars straightened their backs in unison, their faces, which had been focused on listening, now showing reluctance.

The disciples in the front row carefully put the bamboo slips inscribed with notes into their cloth bags, moving slowly so as not to make a sound and disturb this solemn moment.

The students in the back rows also stood up, straightened their wrinkled plain-colored shirts, and their eagerness from just moments ago turned into a respectful and solemn expression.

As the last bell tolled and faded from the hall, everyone uniformly lifted their robes, knelt down, and bowed deeply, shouting in unison, "Thank you for your teachings, Master!"

The sound echoed throughout the hall, startling the swallows under the eaves into taking flight once more.

Zheng Xuan's silver hair trembled slightly. He raised his hand to signal everyone to stand up, his eyes full of satisfaction. His crane cloak fluttered gently in the breeze, as if he were bidding a reluctant farewell to his disciples.

The Confucian scholars then filed out of the Dacheng Hall, but one of them stayed behind.

He was Cui Yan, a direct disciple of Zheng Xuan.

Cui Yan, courtesy name Ji Gui, was a direct descendant of the prestigious Qinghe Cui clan, a prominent family in the land.

He was tall and imposing, with a booming voice. He not only mastered the classics taught by Zheng Xuan, but also integrated Confucian self-cultivation methods into his character, becoming famous for his integrity and uprightness.

Yuan Shao, having heard of his talent and reputation, recruited him as a cavalry commandant.

Later, when Cao Cao came to power, Cui Yan held important positions such as Minister and Commandant.

In the imperial court, he was upright and incorruptible, dared to speak frankly, and was particularly concerned about the selection of talented people.

He upheld fair standards, recruited many talented individuals for the Cao Wei regime, and laid the foundation for the stability and development of the Cao Wei political structure. His character and integrity were highly respected by his contemporaries.

However, that was the future Cui Yan; at this time, he was still very young and had not yet entered officialdom.

However, with the help of his family's influence, he had a clear understanding of the general trend of the world.

Cui Yan stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Teacher, I just received news that Ji Qiu, the governor of Mount Tai, has sent troops to Qingzhou and has occupied Qi County and Le'an County in just three days."

"What does this have to do with me?" Zheng Xuan asked indifferently.

Cui Yan said, "Teacher, Ji Qiu is a pawn planted in Guandong by the late emperor. He has always been hostile to powerful families. You are the head of a powerful family in Qingzhou. We must be wary of him."

"How could I be the head of some prestigious family? I'm just a schoolteacher."

"The world's conflicts are none of my concern, nor are they related to the Moshan Academy. This is merely a place for scholarly pursuits," Zheng Xuan said calmly.

For a great Confucian scholar like him, there was really no interest in the conflicts between the feudal lords.

They were even less inclined to concern themselves with the past conflicts between the emperor and powerful clans.

Who wins and who loses, so what?

Ultimately, won't the country still be governed by Confucian scholars?
If you haven't set up a fishing platform, why get involved and get yourself dirty?

Cui Yan's gaze sharpened, knowing that Zheng Xuan had seen through his plan to use Zheng Xuan to deal with Ji Qiu and was silently warning him.

If he continues to be ungrateful, he will likely be expelled from Moshan Academy.

He quickly replied, "Teacher is right. I was short-sighted."

This disciple is also worried that Ji Qiu is a vulgar and uncouth person, and that he might be ungrateful and disturb your peace at Moshan!

"Well, it's good to admit your mistakes and correct them. You may leave now," Zheng Xuan said with a noncommittal smile.

Cui Yan bowed and said, "This disciple takes his leave."

"The world has entered a chaotic era..."

Zheng Xuan watched Cui Yan's departing figure and couldn't help but let out a soft sigh.

Donglai County, Wang Family Wubao.

Compared with other prominent families in Qingzhou, the history of the Donglai Wang clan is relatively shallow.

Their family's earliest history can be traced back to the early Han Dynasty.

At that time, a merchant caravan from Fuyu, Liaodong, stayed in Donglai. One of the merchants fell in love with a local girl and settled there, changing his surname to "Wang". He became the ancestor of the Wang clan in Donglai.

Subsequently, the Wang family of Donglai gradually grew in strength, transforming from merchants into a powerful clan, and from a powerful clan into a prestigious family.

By the early Eastern Han Dynasty, the head of the Wang family was already a prefect with a salary of two thousand shi (a unit of grain measure).

Subsequently, the family held the title of "Two Thousand Stones" for generations, becoming the most powerful and influential family in Donglai County.

During the late Han Dynasty, the Wang clan of Donglai produced many talented individuals.

The most famous of them all is Wang Ji.

At the age of seventeen, he was summoned by the governor of Donglai to serve as a government official, but because his ambitions did not align with his position, he soon resigned and went to Langya County to study.

During the Huangchu era of the Cao Wei dynasty, Wang Ji was recommended as a filial and incorruptible official based on his talent and learning, and was appointed as a court official.

Later, Wang Ling, the governor of Qingzhou, valued Wang Ji's talent and twice submitted memorials to retain him as the deputy governor of Qingzhou.

Later, the court summoned Wang Ji to serve as a secretary, and Situ Wang Lang also wanted to recruit him into his household, but both were blocked by Wang Ling.

During the reign of Emperor Ming of Wei, General Sima Yi summoned Wang Ji, and Wang Ling had no choice but to let him go. However, before Wang Ji could even report to General Sima Yi's residence, the court appointed him as a Palace Attendant.

During the reign of King Qi, Cao Shuang, the Grand General, requested that Wang Ji be appointed as an Attendant Gentleman of the Palace, and later he was transferred to be the Prefect of Anfeng.

Anfeng is located on the border, bordering Eastern Wu. During Wang Ji's tenure there, he was honest and upright, and used both kindness and severity. He set up extensive defenses, which deterred Eastern Wu from invading. As a result, he was awarded the title of General Who Subdues Bandits.

Afterwards, Wang resigned due to illness. He was later summoned to serve as the Governor of Henan, but before he could take office, the Gaopingling Incident broke out, and he was dismissed because he had been an official under Cao Shuang.

In the first year of the Jiaping era, Sima Yi, who controlled the court, reinstated Wang Ji and appointed him as Minister.

In the second year of the Jiaping era, Wang Ji was appointed as the governor of Jingzhou and was promoted to General Yanglie. He followed General Wang Chang in his three-pronged campaign against Wu and was granted the title of Marquis of Guannei for his military achievements.

Afterwards, Wang Ji served in Jingzhou, where he actively promoted the government, reformed the military and agriculture, established numerous schools, and emphasized education, earning him high praise from the people. He also participated in suppressing the three rebellions in Huainan (Guanqiu Jian, Wen Qin, and Zhuge Dan), offering strategic advice during the battles and making significant contributions to the stability of the Cao Wei regime.

After the war, Wang Ji was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Dongwu County for his meritorious service. His official position continued to rise, eventually reaching the rank of General Who Conquers the South and Commander-in-Chief of the Military Affairs of Jingzhou.

Next is Wang Qi.

In his early years, he served as the Prefect of Xuantu in Cao Wei. In the fifth year of Zhengshi, he followed Guanqiu Jian, the Governor of Youzhou, on an eastern expedition against Goguryeo. He pursued the remnants of the Weigong army, crossed Wuju for more than a thousand miles, and reached the southern border of the Sushen people. He also erected a stone to commemorate his achievements, demonstrating the majesty of China and consolidating the northeastern border of Cao Wei. He also cleverly used the power of the Buyeo Kingdom to obtain its material support.

In the eighth year of the Zhengshi era, he, then serving as the Prefect of Daifang, dispatched Zhang Zheng, the Assistant Clerk of the Frontier, to Japan to mediate the conflict and stabilize the Wei Kingdom's sphere of influence on the Korean Peninsula.

In the fourth year of Jingyuan, he participated in the campaign against Shu, and under the command of Deng Ai, he directly attacked Jiang Wei's camp, contributing to Wei's conquest of Shu Han.

Under the leadership of Wang Ji and Wang Qi, the Donglai Wang clan broke through the bottleneck of being a middle-class aristocratic family and became a high-class aristocratic family.

However, it was still early.

Neither Wang Ji nor Wang Qi had been born yet.

The people who truly held power in the Wang family were the current head of the family, Wang Bao, Wang Ji's father, and Wang Weng, Wang Ji's uncle.

Wang Bao also received news that Ji Qiu had sent troops to Qingzhou and occupied Qi County and Le'an County.

So he discussed countermeasures with his younger brother, Wang Weng.

"I never expected Ji Qiu to be so capable. He took over Qi County and Le'an County in just three days."

The Tian family of Qi County and the Sun family of Le'an are families that have been passed down for nearly a thousand years.

Among them, the Tian family of Qi County was the royal family of the former Qi Kingdom, and the Sun family of Le'an were descendants of the military strategist.

"Even they couldn't stop Ji Qiu, so who else in Qingzhou could stand against him?" Wang Bao asked, trembling with fear.

Because of their shallow family background, the Donglai Wang clan has always been revered as the least prestigious among the middle-ranking families in Qingzhou, and has always maintained a very low profile.

He always acted according to the wishes of other powerful families.

Now, even the Qi County Tian Clan and the Le'an Sun Clan, which ranked among the top middle-class families in various counties of Qingzhou, have been wiped out in such a swift and decisive manner.

They were immediately at a loss, not knowing what to do.

Old Wang also frowned, and after a long silence, he said, "Brother, don't panic. Things have come to this point, panicking won't help."

Fortunately, Jiqiu is still far away from us, and the Beihai Kingdom is blocking our way.

In my opinion, it would be better for you, brother, to send someone to deliver a generous gift to Ji Qiu and establish a good relationship with him.

If he stops here and has no intention of continuing to expand his power, then he will become the number one power in Qingzhou, replacing the Tian family of Qi County and the Sun family of Le'an.

Our Donglai Wang family has a good relationship with them, which only brings benefits and no harm.

If he is extremely ambitious, he will want to further expand his power.

That would inevitably lead to conflict with the Beihai Kingdom and the Beihai Kong Clan.

The Kong family of Beihai is a family of Confucian sages; how could just anyone mess with them?

I'm afraid Ji Qiu is going to get a real slap in the face!

“But what if he really manages to take over the Kong family of Beihai?” Wang Bao asked.

Wang Weng smiled bitterly and said, "What else is there to say? If Ji Qiu really takes over the Kong family of Beihai, then his strength will far exceed our imagination."

At this point, what other way could our Donglai Wang clan save our ancestral temple besides surrendering?
That's why I asked my brother to befriend Ji Qiu at this time.

If that day truly comes, and we still have this bond of kinship today, we'll have more leeway!

"Second brother is truly a man of great talent! Very well, I will arrange for someone to take generous gifts to pay a visit to Lord Ji!" Wang Bao said loudly.

Sour Jujube Camp.

All eighteen feudal lords who came to the alliance meeting have arrived.

The leader was none other than Yuan Shao, the alliance's leader!
At this moment, the usually composed Yuan Shao held the letter sent from the rear, his face filled with disbelief.

"Ji Qiu actually opened up the Qingzhou passage, sent troops to Qingzhou, defeated the Tian family of Qi County and the Sun family of Le'an, and took over Qi County and Le'an County?"

"How is this possible?"

"How could he possess such immense strength!"

Among the warlords of the land, Yuan Shao was considered to have a relatively good understanding of Ji Qiu.

Because of past grievances, even after Yuan Wei contacted powerful families across four continents and sealed off Taishan County, he still did not relax his attention to Ji Qiu.

Most of the spies and undercover agents in Taishan County were sent by him.

Therefore, he knew that Ji Qiu, who had been locked down for a whole year, was not as weak as outsiders imagined.

Even though they knew Ji Qiu wasn't as weak as outsiders imagined, they still didn't expect him to be this strong!
It was Zang Hong who led 30,000 private troops of the Tian family to block the passage to Qingzhou.

They held their ground in a strategic location and possessed formidable fighting strength; even a force of 100,000 men would find it difficult to defeat them.

What merit or ability did Ji Qiu possess to annihilate them in a single battle?
As for taking down the Tian family of Qi Commandery and the Sun family of Le'an, that would be even more difficult.

The Tian family of Qi Commandery were descendants of the royal family of Qi, while the Sun family of Le'an were descendants of Sun Tzu, the military strategist.

These are all ancient families with a history of nearly a thousand years, possessing profound family heritage. Even the Yuan family would find it difficult to say whether they could easily defeat them.

And Ji Qiu actually killed them just like that?

Just how far has autumn grown this season?
Yuan Shu, standing behind Yuan Shao, was also startled and broke out in a cold sweat.

He recalled that just a few days earlier, after the allied forces received news that Dong Zhuo had appointed Ji Qiu as the governor of Yan Province, he had nonchalantly said, "Ji Qiu is nothing to worry about. They can march on Luoyang and fight Dong Zhuo with all their might!"

If the allied forces really follow his request and launch a full-scale attack towards Luoyang.

Given the strength Ji Qiu has displayed at this moment, if he launches an attack from behind the lines of the Allied Forces, is there any chance that the Allied Forces will still exist?

Of course, he wasn't thinking this way because he was worried about the future of the Allied Forces, the overall situation of the imperial court, or the cause of defeating Dong Zhuo.

He was only worried about himself.

After all, he is currently within the Allied Forces.

All his troops were also among the Allied forces.

If the allied forces suffer a major defeat, he will not only suffer huge military losses, but may also die in the army.

How could one not be shocked?
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but glare fiercely at Kong Zhou, the governor of Yuzhou, and Wang Kuang, the prefect of Hanoi.

These two useless people were clearly assigned the task of blocking the Yuzhou and Yanzhou passages of Taishan County.

Instead of fulfilling their duties, they came to join the anti-Dong alliance to gain fame and prestige. They are truly despicable!

If they could stay in the area and continue to block the Yuzhou and Yanzhou passages, why would the allied forces need to worry about this?
Yuan Shu, who was thinking these words, had no idea that if it came down to putting aside important matters and seeking fame, he and Yuan Shao would be the two most egregious offenders in the allied forces.

However, since ancient times, many things have been a case of "the magistrate is allowed to set fires, but the common people are not allowed to light lamps."

Those in positions of power always criticize others for their problems; they never reflect on themselves or engage in self-destructive mental strain.

Of course, Yuan Shu was dissatisfied, but he did not say it directly.

He did have some brains after all, and more importantly, Wang Kuang and Kong Zhou each had their own status, so he couldn't just criticize them casually.

So I had no choice but to keep those words to myself.

"Brother Benchu, don't worry. Actually, I think this is a good thing."

Just as Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu were each lost in their own calculations and remained silent, a deep voice broke the tranquility of the tent.

The speaker was a young man who was not very tall, but extremely strong, with a heroic air about him.

He was Cao Cao, the vice leader of the Anti-Dong Zhuo Alliance who issued the proclamation against Dong Zhuo and advocated the establishment of the Anti-Dong Zhuo Alliance!

This wasn't the first time Cao Cao had heard of Ji Qiu's name; after all, he had also been involved in the officialdom of Luoyang before Dong Zhuo entered the capital.

Therefore, they have a relatively deep understanding of Ji Qiu's rise to power, as well as his feuds with the powerful clans led by the Yuan family.

Unlike most of the court officials who were hostile to Ji Qiu, he actually had a certain degree of appreciation for Ji Qiu.

They were surprised that Ji Qiu, a member of a small clan from a remote border region with no connections in Luoyang, could rise to the high position of prefect in such a short time.

They gained the emperor's favor, which made even a top-tier family like the Yuan family look bad.

This is truly extraordinary!
"This man is truly a hero of his time; I should emulate him!" Cao Cao thought to himself at the time.

Of course, Cao Cao's starting point was definitely far higher than that of Ji Qiu.

However, in a sense, their situations are actually quite similar.

They were all outsiders who found it difficult to enter the core circles of powerful and influential families.

Ji Qiu was from a small clan in the border region. In the eyes of the powerful families in the inner region, he was just a beggar who had come from the wilderness to compete with them for food.

As for Cao Cao, he was a eunuch son who was even more despised by the powerful clans.

In the eyes of powerful families, he was a lowly person, without virtue or talent, and should never have a chance to rise in this life!

Therefore, Ji Qiu's rise to power was indeed quite instructive for Cao Cao.

Ji Qiu was able to rise to power by stepping on powerful clans, and perhaps Cao Cao could also follow this path!

Of course, that's all for the future.

At this point, although Cao Cao admired Ji Qiu, it did not affect his vigilance and suppression of Ji Qiu at all.

After all, at this moment he was completely on the side of the powerful clans.

Therefore, after the news of Dong Zhuo appointing Ji Qiu as the governor of Yan Province came, he immediately suggested that the allied forces should guard against a sneak attack by Ji Qiu.

At the time, many people were skeptical, believing that after a year of blockade, Ji Qiu had no ability to launch a surprise attack on the Allied forces.

But in retrospect, this suggestion was remarkably prescient.

Although Ji Qiu did not launch a surprise attack on the Allied Forces, that was only because he did not do so, not because he was unable to do so!
However, upon receiving news that Ji Qiu had occupied Qi Commandery and Le'an Commandery, most of the warlords in the anti-Dong Zhuo alliance believed that it was necessary to strengthen the defense of the allied camp to prevent Ji Qiu from sending troops to launch a surprise attack.

He felt that now was the time to truly unleash his full power and fight Dong Zhuo without worrying about Ji Qiu launching a sneak attack.

(End of this chapter)