The Three Kingdoms: Hindsight is 20/20, and the Three Revivals of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 283 The Yuan Brothers Form an Alliance; The Two Yuans Are Cunning and Have a Little Plan (5 Updates)
To prevent any unforeseen events, Feng Ji and a few attendants rode swiftly to the plains.

Upon learning Feng Ji's purpose, Yuan Tan spoke with disdain: "Yuan Shang is a rebellious scoundrel who imprisoned his own father and stole the seal of the Grand General. How dare he talk to me about the interdependence of the two families?"

Feng Ji knew that persuasion would not be easy, so he cupped his hands slightly and spoke earnestly, his tone completely different from his usual arrogance: "Young Master Tan, Cao Cao is currently stationed in Hanoi, and Liu Bei is occupying Youzhou and eyeing Jizhou. If Young Master Tan and Young Master Shang continue to fight amongst themselves, it will only allow outsiders to reap the benefits! Young Master Shang is willing to put aside past grievances and join forces with Young Master Tan to resist external enemies. I urge Young Master Tan to reconsider!"

Yuan Tan leaned against the table, sneering repeatedly: "Feng Yuantu, if all you have to say is this nonsense, then you can leave. I fear neither Cao Cao nor Liu Bei. Don't compare me to that good-for-nothing Yuan Shang. He only knows how to reap the benefits, while I can conquer cities and seize territories!"

Although he was disdainful, Feng Ji needed his help at the moment, so he had to suppress his disdain and continue to persuade him: "Young Master Tan is a man of great talent and ambition, naturally far superior to Young Master Shang. However, Cao Cao and Liu Bei are not ordinary people either, and neither Young Master Shang nor Young Master Tan can deal with them alone. If Young Master Tan insists on competing with Young Master Shang, I'm afraid it will only give Cao Cao and Liu Bei an opportunity to take advantage of the situation."

Yuan Tan snorted coldly, his gaze sharp as a knife: "Feng Yuantu, stop spreading alarmist rumors! Back in Ye City, Yuan Shang was so arrogant that he wanted to imprison me to death at the post station. Now he remembers me? If he is truly sincere, why doesn't he come in person?"

Feng Ji's heart tightened, knowing that Yuan Tan harbored deep resentment towards Yuan Shang. He quickly explained, "Young Master Shang bears the responsibility for the safety of Ji Province and cannot easily leave Ye City. However, Young Master Shang has clearly stated that he is willing to discuss important matters with Young Master Tan and jointly defend against foreign enemies. As long as Young Master Tan agrees, Young Master Shang is willing to use the seal of the Grand General as a token to share the benefits of Ji Province."

A hint of sarcasm flashed in Yuan Tan's eyes: "Sharing Ji Province? Does Yuan Shang even deserve it? If he hadn't imprisoned my father and stolen the seal of office, Ji Province should have been under my control long ago. How ridiculous it is that he's using the Ji Province that rightfully belongs to me to bestow favors upon me?"

Seeing that Yuan Tan was agitated, Feng Ji quickly softened his tone: "Young Master Tan, please calm down. Young Master Shang is indeed wrong, but with a formidable enemy at hand, further infighting will only cause pain to our loved ones and joy to our enemies. Young Master Shang is willing to prioritize the greater good, so why don't you, Young Master Tan, take a long-term view and temporarily set aside your old grudges?"

Yuan Tan suddenly fell silent, seemingly weighing the pros and cons.

Seeing this, Feng Ji pressed his advantage: "Young Master Tan, Cao Cao harbors wolfish ambitions. If he takes over Ji Province, Qing Province will also be difficult to protect. Liu Bei has also seized control of You Province, Zhongshan, Changshan, and Shangdang, and his power is growing daily. If we do not stop him in time, he will surely become a major threat in the future. Only by joining forces with Young Master Tan and Young Master Shang can we ensure the peace of Hebei and preserve the Yuan family's foundation! Young Master Tan, please think it over!"

a long time.

Yuan Tan finally relented, his tone softening slightly: "Feng Yuantu, you keep saying that Yuan Shang is willing to join forces with me, but what concrete promises have you made?"

Feng Ji was overjoyed and quickly replied, "Young Master Shang is willing to offer Anping and Bohai as gifts to Young Master Tan to show his sincerity. In addition, Young Master Tan can lead the General of Chariots and Cavalry to jointly attack Cao Cao and Liu Bei."

Yuan Tan sneered: "You think you can fob me off with just two counties? What use is your self-appointed General of Chariots and Cavalry? Feng Yuantu, you underestimate me too much."

Feng Ji quickly added, "If Young Master Tan has any other conditions, please feel free to make them, and Young Master Shang will do his best to meet them."

Yuan Tan pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "It's not impossible for me to join forces with him. But he must give me the seal of the Grand General and promise that I will take control of the two provinces of Qing and Ji after the war!"

Feng Ji's heart sank. He knew that Yuan Shang would never agree to such harsh conditions, but he could only try to appease Yuan Tan for the time being: "I will certainly convey Young Master Tan's request to Young Master Shang. However, the situation is urgent at the moment, and I hope that Young Master Tan will consider the overall situation and put the dispute aside for the time being."

Yuan Tan waved his hand impatiently and said, "Go back and tell Yuan Shang that if he is truly sincere, he should come to see me in person. Otherwise, there is no point in talking!" Just when Feng Ji thought that his persuasion had failed, Guo Tu, who had been listening for a long time, suddenly spoke up: "Young Master Tan, please wait! If we refuse to form an alliance now, Yuan Shang will surely be annexed by Cao Cao, and our Qingzhou will be isolated in the southeast and will be difficult to resist."

Xin Ping also advised, "If we sit idly by and watch Yuan Shang be defeated and die, Cao Cao's power will expand, which will be detrimental to Young Master Tan. Please think it over carefully."

Hua Yan, who was originally just watching for fun, now realized something was wrong. Not only was Feng Ji humble and pleading for peace with Pingyuan, but Guo Tu and Xin Ping, who had always been at odds with Feng Ji, were also echoing Feng Ji's sentiments.

Thinking of this, Hua Yan also advised, "Young Master Tan, I also think that we can temporarily make peace with Yuan Shang. After all, Young Master Tan and Yuan Shang are brothers, and in terms of kinship, they should be closer and more trustworthy than Liu Bei and Cao Cao. Why not agree for now and see how things develop?"

Seeing that everyone agreed to make peace, Yuan Tan frowned and looked at Feng Ji again: "I can agree to your conditions, but I lack food and military supplies. Would Yuan Shang be willing to prepare them for me?"

Feng Ji secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that they were willing to make peace; everything else could be discussed. He patted his chest and assured them, "Young Master Tan, rest assured, since it is an alliance, all provisions and military supplies can be allocated!"

When Yuan Tan saw that Feng Ji had agreed to provide the provisions and troops, a calculating glint flashed in his eyes. He sneered, "Fine! Since Yuan Shang is willing to allocate military supplies, then send 50,000 shi of provisions first to show your sincerity. If you don't see the provisions and troops, then this matter is off! To show my sincerity, I will not ask for the seal of the Grand General; I will simply take command of the General of Chariots and Cavalry myself!"

Feng Ji's heart tightened, and he cursed Yuan Tan's greed in his heart, but he still forced a smile and said, "Young Master Tan, rest assured, I will send a message to Ye City immediately and will not be late."

Seeing this, Hua Yan interjected at the opportune moment: "Feng Yuantu, words alone are not enough. It would be better to draw up a written agreement, with each party keeping a copy, to avoid any changes in the future."

Feng Ji was secretly annoyed by Hua Yan's meddling, but with the die already cast, he could only nod and say, "That's the way it should be."

Hua Yan immediately wrote two "Transfer Orders," with a neat and orderly format like those of Zhuge Liang. He handed them to Feng Ji for signature and seal, but Feng Ji's signature and seal were for the supervisor, not the deliverer. The deliverer was Yuan Shang, and Feng Ji needed to send the "Transfer Orders" to Ye City by fast horse so that Yuan Shang could sign and seal them.

Feng Ji harbored resentment in his heart, but dared not say anything. He had no choice but to bite the bullet, sign his name, affix his personal seal, and go to the post station to arrange for a fast horse.

After Feng Ji left, Yuan Tan sneered and said to Guo Tu and the others, "Yuan Shang, do you really think I don't know what he's up to? He just wants to use my strength to resist Cao Cao. Once the crisis is over, he will definitely turn his back on me."

Xin Ping pondered for a moment and said, "Since Young Master Tan knows that Yuan Shang is untrustworthy, why did he still agree to the alliance?"

Yuan Tan squinted and said, "Since he's sending grain, why shouldn't I accept it? Once I have enough supplies, I can first take Bohai and Anping, and then observe the situation. If Yuan Shang is defeated by Cao Cao, I will take the opportunity to gather Yuan Shang's defeated troops. Cao Cao has come from afar, and his supplies will not last long. Once he retreats, Ye City will be within my grasp!"

　Chapter 5 is here! Such a diligent first day of the month, please vote with monthly tickets!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)