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

Chapter 293 Ye City is in complete chaos, Guo Jia predicts Shen Pei's fate (5th update)
“You’re absolutely right.” Yuan Tan sneered, his gaze sharp. “But if Ye City is destined to fall, why should I stay here? Tomorrow I can retreat to Qingzhou to preserve my strength, and I won’t need to risk my life with you and then flee in a sorry state.”

Upon hearing the question, Pei was speechless. A cunning glint flashed in Yuan Tan's eyes, and he changed the subject: "But I admire your courage and am willing to give you a chance. As long as you are loyal to me, I will gamble with you. Yuan Shang is cowardly and only knows how to abandon his army and flee for his life, while I dare to personally lead my iron cavalry into battle. He is far inferior to me! Since ancient times, those who understand the times are heroes. You should make a choice!"

Shen Pei never thought he could persuade Yuan Tan with just a few words. When Yuan Tan made his offer, he immediately knelt down and said, "After the matter is settled, I will give the General of Chariots and Cavalry the seal of the Grand General and help him inherit the Yuan family's legacy."

"Fine!" Yuan Tan slammed his hand on the table and stood up, pulling out pen, ink, and bamboo slips. "Words are no proof! I want your sincerity!"

Yuan Tan had the courage and was willing to gamble, but he also needed to see Shen Pei's sincerity. Only with Shen Pei's written agreement could Yuan Tan feel at ease.

Shen Pei took a deep breath and, without hesitation, picked up his pen and quickly wrote a pledge of allegiance on the spot. He then signed and stamped it before presenting it to the emperor: "If the matter is accomplished, I will obey the general's orders!"

Yuan Tan read the book and laughed loudly: "So decisive! I underestimated you! Now that you have pledged your allegiance, Ye City is mine! I agree to your do-or-die strategy! Tell me the details, and I will cooperate!"

Seeing Yuan Tan fall into the trap, a cunning glint flashed in Shen Pei's eyes.

He feigned dullness and speechlessness precisely to provoke Yuan Tan into making his own demands.

Although Shen Pei's wisdom and strategy could not compare to those of Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong, or Xun Yu, he was still able to see through the general trend of the world.

In the world today, Cao Cao is already the strongest. Even Meng Dai understands this, so how could Shen Pei not understand it?

If both of Shen Pei's sons had not been killed by Cao Cao, leaving him without an heir, Shen Pei could have weighed the pros and cons like Chen Deng, yielded to protect himself, and then said, "Those who understand the times are heroes."

Offspring are the foundation of a family business. If one dies, the family business will be cut off. Even if one raises another young child, it will take more than ten years of effort. Cao Cao ordered Shen Pei to have no descendants. Shen Pei had no other desires but to fight Cao Cao to the death and fight for a reputation for loyalty that would lead him to die facing north.

Therefore, Shen Pei did not care whether he was loyal to Yuan Shao, Yuan Shang, or Yuan Tan.

When Yuan Shao gave up, he followed Yuan Shang; when Yuan Shang became cowardly, he followed Yuan Tan. The reason for the choice was simple and direct: whoever was willing to avenge Shen Pei would be the one to follow.

Meanwhile, Yuan Shang personally led Ma Yan with over a hundred cavalrymen out of the north gate, urgently pursuing Guo Tu and Xin Ping, who claimed to be heading to Zhuo County for reinforcements.

However, after speeding for more than ten miles, they still could not find any trace of the two.

It turned out that Guo Tu had long anticipated that Shen Pei and Feng Ji were narrow-minded and would instigate Yuan Shang to send men to pursue and kill them. So, he went straight to the plains to the east after leaving the city.

Shen Pei and Feng Ji's predictions were correct; Guo Tu had no intention of returning to Ye City. His so-called request for help in Zhuo County was merely an excuse to escape.

Guo Tu intended to first return to Pingyuan to pick up his family and send them to Zhuoxian. Before leaving, he also took his fellow villager Xin Ping with him. On the way, he sent Xin Ping to Zhuoxian to find his son Xin Zhe to bring troops into Pingyuan in order to defend against Hua Yan's use of pretexts to detain his family or secretly kill them.

Although Guo Tu was good at flattery and had no bottom line, he was able to rise from a minor official to Yuan Shao's trusted advisor, which shows his shrewdness and is far beyond what Shen Pei could easily outmaneuver.

Ma Yan returned empty-handed and reported back dejectedly.

Yuan Shang kept this a secret, but deep down he actually hoped that Guo and Xin could really bring Liu Bei to their aid.

Compared to Shen Pei's desperate gamble, waiting for Liu Bei to relieve the siege was clearly a better way to defend Ye City.

In times of crisis, human nature often leads people to prioritize self-interest.

Cao Cao's treacherous scheme has sown discord among the Yuan brothers and their subordinates Shen Pei, Feng Ji, Guo Tu, Xin Ping, Meng Dai, Jiang Qi, and others, each harboring their own ulterior motives.

While the strategy of sowing discord may lack ingenuity, its effectiveness often depends solely on the opponent's bottom line: the lower the bottom line, the easier it is for them to fall for the trap.

As night deepened, Meng Dai pretended to patrol the west gate. When Jiang Qi arrived with his family, Meng Dai suddenly attacked and knocked out the deputy commander appointed by Shen Pei, then ordered his trusted men to open the city gate and left with his family.

The guards were stunned and at a loss, and it took them a long time to revive the deputy general. The deputy general was so frightened by the news that he scrambled to find Shen Pei to report the incident.

However, upon hearing this, Shen Pei, contrary to his usual behavior, did not show any anger. He simply coldly ordered his deputy to strictly guard the city's defenses and prevent any further changes.

Shen Pei understood immediately: Guo Tu's words during the day had already stirred the minds of many officers and generals. Meng Dai and Jiang Qi were not the only ones who intended to defect to Cao Cao. It was better to guide than to block. Forcing these people to stay would only make them turn against him during the decisive battle. It would be better for them to disperse on their own now.

Meanwhile, in Cao Cao's camp not far from Ye City, the lights in the central command tent were still burning.

A junior officer knelt on one knee and whispered to Cao Cao, "The garrison commanders of Ye City, Meng Dai and Jiang Qi, have come to surrender with their families and are waiting outside the camp gate."

Cao Cao stroked his beard and listened attentively, his face showing no emotion, but inwardly he was pleasantly surprised.

The divisive tactic worked, and Cao Cao secretly breathed a sigh of relief. What he feared most was that the generals defending Ye City would unite and refuse to surrender, forcing Cao Cao to adopt extreme siege tactics.

If Hebei only had Yuan Shang and Yuan Tan, Cao Cao would have dared to use even the most extreme siege tactics; however, Hebei was also eyeing it covetously, especially since Liu Bei often acted in the opposite way to Cao Cao, making Cao Cao both respect and hate him.

I respect the heroes of the world, including you and me; I hate Liu Bei for always opposing me.

Cao Cao then ordered his junior officers Meng Dai and Jiang Qi to be summoned.

Upon meeting Cao Cao, the two men did not mince words. They bowed deeply before the tent and said, "We are deeply grateful for Lord Cao's benevolence and magnanimity. We have brought our families and followers to join you. We are willing to serve as your vanguard and fight against the rebels together!"

Cao Cao smiled gently and offered a gesture of support: "Please rise, both generals. Your decision to abandon darkness for light and recognize the general trend is a wise one! Now that you have come to submit to me, you are my right-hand men! When we return to Xuchang, I will petition the Emperor to enfeoff you both as marquises."

Cao Cao's voice was deep and reassuring, carrying the power to soothe people's hearts, as if he were truly a benevolent elder.

Upon hearing this, Meng Dai and Jiang Qi felt relieved, and their faces showed gratitude.

Meng Dai, in particular, breathed a sigh of relief: he had made the right bet! The first to surrender would indeed be treated well! To be addressed as a marquis right off the bat—Cao Cao was truly magnanimous!

"Thank you, Lord Cao!"

Meng Dai and Jiang Qi were overjoyed.

Cao Cao then ordered a banquet to be prepared and invited Meng Dai and Jiang Qi to drink together.

Having received Cao Cao's generous treatment, Meng Dai did not hesitate and then told Cao Cao the specific details of the soldiers and civilians in Ye City, as well as the plans of Shen Pei and Guo Tu.

Upon learning that Shen Pei wanted Yuan Shang to take a desperate gamble, Cao Cao couldn't help but sneer: "Yuan Shang is just like Yuan Shao, both of them are people who are willing to do great things but are afraid of losing their lives. Shen Pei's plan is destined to fail. Guo Tu is smart, though. He knew that he could not achieve anything in Ye City, so he withdrew and ran to Zhuo County to rely on Liu Bei."

Cao Cao paused, then frowned slightly: "If Guo Tu goes to Zhuo County, Liu Bei will surely learn that Ye City has less than three months' worth of provisions, which may cause further trouble."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Guo Jia, who was standing by, smiled confidently: "My lord, there is no need to worry. It won't take more than three months to take Ye City. Shen Pei will not sit idly by and wait for his death! This is also a good opportunity for my lord to quickly take Ye City!"

　Chapter 5 is here! Please vote with your monthly tickets!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)