Three Kingdoms: Fusion of Entries, Change of Destiny

Chapter 178 The Chenliu F4 are complete.

In Chenliu County, as the morning sun begins to shine, the streets gradually come alive.

Yang Biao, dressed in a simple long robe and wearing a square scarf on his head, walked slowly through the bustling crowd to a breakfast stall.

Upon seeing the visitor's distinguished bearing, the stall owner quickly went to greet him warmly.

Yang Biao casually sat down on a bench by the street and then ordered a bowl of vegetarian noodles.

In his hand, he held a brand-new copy of the "Wanmin Journal".

The cover of this academic journal features portraits of three figures. The one on the far left, with a lean face and wise yet gentle eyes, is none other than Sima Hui, who is known as "Mr. Water Mirror".

The man in the middle, with a calm demeanor and an air of refinement, was Chen Ji (Chen Yuanfang), the head of the Chen family of Yingchuan.

The man on the far right, with his handsome appearance and refined demeanor, is none other than Bian Rang, a renowned scholar from Yanzhou.

"That's certainly original..." Yang Biao muttered to himself, a slight smile playing on his lips, "but it's a bit too flashy..."

He opened the academic journal, slowly eating his noodles while flipping through its contents.

He discovered that the journal "Wanmin Journal" not only contained discussions of academic viewpoints, but also numerous analyses of the advantages and disadvantages of current realities.

Turning to the last page, Yang Biao's gaze lingered on the free writing section.

An article by an author named "Wolong" caught his attention.

The article begins by stating: "The world is in great chaos, with warlords vying for power. However, judging from Yuan Shao's control of Ji Province and Yuan Shu's defense of Huainan, the signs of their rise and fall are already evident in the subtle details."

Those few words struck like a heavy hammer, invigorating Yang Biao.

The text continues: Yuan Shao of Hebei, born into a family that had held high office for four generations, now controls the four provinces of Ji, Qing, You, and Bing, and commands 100,000 armored soldiers, making him a formidable force.

His advisors were numerous, including Tian Feng, Ju Shou, and Xu You, all of whom were highly talented. His generals, such as Yan Liang, Wen Chou, and Zhang He, were the bravest in the army. At first glance, the army seemed invincible and unmatched.

However, "Wolong" changed his tone and wrote: Yuan Shao appeared to be kind and generous, but in reality he was suspicious and distrustful, and he was good at scheming but indecisive.

His advisors each had their own agendas, vying for power and profit, making it difficult for them to work together.

Tian Feng and Ju Shou repeatedly offered good strategies, but they were ostracized and suppressed by people like Feng Ji and Guo Tu, causing them to miss the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to "serve the emperor to command the feudal lords".

Although Yan Liang and Wen Chou were brave, they lacked the ability to command a large army. Their soldiers only knew how to charge blindly and did not understand how to coordinate their attacks.

Jizhou has been plagued by war for years, and the people live in poverty, lacking proper clothing and food.

However, Yuan Shao still levied large amounts of grain and attacked Gongsun Zan, an act that was tantamount to "draining the pond to catch all the fish".

Even more fatal was Yuan Shao's hesitation in choosing an heir. His eldest son Yuan Tan, second son Yuan Xi, and third son Yuan Shang each harbored their own ulterior motives, and internal conflicts were beginning to emerge. This was a huge hidden danger on Yuan Shao's path to hegemony.

Looking at Yuan Shu in Huainan, he occupied parts of Yangzhou, Yuzhou, and Xuzhou, seemingly wielding great power.

However, Yuan Shu was arrogant, extravagant, and dissolute, showing no regard for the people's plight. The people under his rule suffered greatly and were filled with resentment.

His actions of detaining imperial envoys and seizing imperial seals were treasonous and caused him to lose the hearts of the people, making him a target of public criticism.

Yuan Shu is embroiled in numerous conflicts with the surrounding warlords, and his subordinate Sun Ce is showing signs of breaking away from his control. It is likely that the Jiangdong region will soon be lost.

Yuan Shu's army was mostly cobbled together from Yellow Turban rebels, bandits, and outlaws. Like a heap of loose sand, it could regroup when victorious, but would quickly collapse once it suffered a series of defeats.

At the end of the article, "Sleeping Dragon" mercilessly commented on Yuan Shu: "A skeleton in a tomb, short-sighted, ambitious but incompetent, that's Yuan Shu!"

After reading the article, Yang Biao was stunned for a long time, oblivious to the fact that the noodles in his hands had long since gone cold.

At this moment, his eyes were filled with amazement, and he murmured to himself, "This 'Sleeping Dragon's' analysis of the Yuan brothers is insightful and hits the nail on the head."

Judging from his words, he has such a clear and thorough understanding of the world situation, he is definitely not an ordinary person!
It's a pity we don't know who this 'Sleeping Dragon' is. If he could be of use to the court, it would truly be a blessing for our great Han Dynasty!"

After a long period of reflection, Yang Biao finally came to his senses, picked up the bowl of noodles, and took a bite of the noodles that had long since lost their heat.

Yet the brilliant arguments in that article continued to resonate in his mind, lingering there.

Yang Biao recalled that during the reign of Emperor Ling, he had served as the governor of Yingchuan, and at that time he had many dealings with the prominent Chen and Xun families of Yingchuan. He had known Chen Ji for a long time and had always admired Chen Ji's character and knowledge.

Seeing that Chen Ji and others have founded a journal called "Wanmin Journal" that can both disseminate academic knowledge and inspire thought, and publish personal insights, I feel a strong urge to meet Chen Ji immediately, reminisce about the past, and discuss the deeper meaning behind this journal.

Once this thought arose, Yang Biao felt increasingly anxious and impatient.

He simply put down his bowl and chopsticks, threw down a few coins, and hurriedly left.

After making a few inquiries, Yang Biao arrived at the headquarters of the "Wanmin Periodical".

He was about to step inside when the guard at the door politely stepped forward to stop him.

Yang Biao quickly explained his purpose, and the guard, upon hearing this, turned around and hurried inside to inform the guard.

Shortly after, the three editors-in-chief, Chen Ji, Sima Hui, and Bian Rang, walked out together.

Chen Ji recognized Yang Biao from a distance.

His face instantly lit up with a delighted smile, and he strode forward to greet him, grasping Yang Biao's hands tightly with both of them, saying, "Master Yang, what brings you here? You are truly a rare guest!"

Yang Biao smiled broadly, shook Chen Ji's hand in return, and said, "Yuanfang, it's been many years, but you're still as charming as ever!"

I had just arrived in Chenliu when I saw your journal, *Wanmin Xuekan* (Ten Thousand People's Journal). I was filled with curiosity and eager to catch up with you, so I came here as soon as possible.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Chen Ji released his grip and turned to introduce Sima Hui and Bian Rang to Yang Biao: "Master Yang, this is Sima Decao, also known as Mr. Shui Jing. He is a man of broad learning, proficient in classics, Taoism, and Qimen Dunjia, and is known as the 'Judge of Men'."

This is Bian Rang, Bian Wenli. He displayed extraordinary talent from a young age, excelling in writing; his poetic skills were rarely matched in his time.

Upon hearing this, Yang Biao quickly bowed to the two men and said, "I have long admired your names. It is truly an honor to meet you today."

"Greetings, Lord Yang!" Sima Hui and Bian Rang quickly returned the greeting, their attitude respectful.

After exchanging pleasantries, Chen Ji gestured for them to come in and said with a smile, "Master Yang, please come in. Let's talk inside."

Yang Biao nodded and walked into the headquarters of "Wanmin Journal" with the others.

As soon as he entered the gate, Yang Biao's eyes were immediately drawn to the plaque hanging high above the main hall.

The plaque is inscribed with twenty large characters: "To establish a heart for heaven and earth, to establish a destiny for the people, to continue the lost learning of the past sages, and to usher in an era of peace for all generations." The calligraphy is vigorous and powerful.

Yang Biao's pupils dilated slightly, his lips beneath his white beard trembled gently, and his gaze seemed to be glued to the words, unable to look away for a long time.

Standing to the side, Chen Ji saw Yang Biao's moved expression and gently explained, "These four lines were written by Cao Zian, which fully express the fundamental principles for Confucian scholars to establish themselves and live their lives. They are also the founding principles of the Wanmin Journal!"

“Cao Zi’an, it was actually him…” Yang Biao murmured, repeating the name. Suddenly, he took half a step forward and said with a slightly excited voice, “I have traveled to the Three Capitals Academy and read through the classics of the ancient Confucian scholars, but I never thought that anyone could condense the great principles of Confucianism into these four sentences.”

At this moment, Yang Biao's eyes gleamed as he continued, "When Zigong asked about governance, the Master replied with 'sufficient food, sufficient military strength, and the people's trust.' Today, upon seeing these four lines, I realize that we scholars of the classics have long been trapped within the literal meaning of the texts."

But Cao Zian, with just these twenty words, managed to breach the towering palace walls!

Yang Biao looked up again, gazing at the four large characters "Hengqu's Four Lines" in clerical script on the plaque, his voice trembling slightly: "In the past, when Wang Mang usurped the Han throne, Liu Xin, with the honor of 'National Preceptor,' reversed the Six Classics, and all the Confucian scholars in the world became maggots clinging to our bones. Today, seeing these four lines, I realize that the Great Way has not been lost—Cao Zian can truly be said to have continued the lost voice of Confucius and Mencius, and ushered in a new era of peace!"

Having said that, he turned and gripped Chen Ji's hand tightly, his aged knuckles turning white from the force, and asked urgently:

"I wonder where Cao Zi'an is? I wish to meet him!"

“Zian has important business to attend to and has gone to Xudu. I don’t know when he will return,” Bian Rang replied truthfully from the side.

"Alas, what a pity..." A hint of disappointment appeared on Yang Biao's face.

Just then, a clear, youthful voice suddenly came from outside the door:
"Do any of you three teachers have some free time today? Would you like to come with me to sample some of the latest fine wines?"

Everyone followed the sound,

Cao Yan walked into the headquarters with a big smile on his face.

(End of this chapter)