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

Guan Yu did not hesitate and immediately summoned Yan Liang and Wen Chou to lead their troops to accompany Sun Qian to Shiyi, so as to prevent Yuan Shang and the other two from getting the news in advance and escaping to Cao Cao's territory.

After officially joining Liu Bei's camp, Yan Liang and Wen Chou lived a very comfortable life and were full of hope for the future.

Compared to Yuan Shang, Yuan Xi, and Gao Gan, who were unable to let go of their pride and relied on their past status, Yan Liang and Wen Chou understood that those who are pragmatic and adaptable are the wise ones.
In addition, Yan Liang and Wen Chou had a personal grudge against Yuan Shang, so after receiving Guan Yu's military order, they did not hesitate to send troops to Shiyi, and then sealed off the city, forbidding anyone from entering or leaving.

Caught off guard, Yuan Shang and his two companions were cornered by Yan Liang and Wen Chou's troops in the inner hall of the governor's mansion.

Seeing the menacing Yan Liang and Wen Chou approaching, Yuan Shang felt a surge of anger and spoke in an extremely unfriendly tone: "This is the Governor's residence of Ji Province! Yan Liang, Wen Chou! What are you trying to do by leading your troops into this place?!"

Yan Liang and Wen Chou sneered and remained silent, waiting for Sun Qian to enter.

Upon seeing Sun Qian, Yuan Shang was secretly surprised and suspicious: Why would Sun Qian, the Attendant of the Court of State Ceremonies, suddenly come here? Could it be that Liu Bei has already learned of my secret plot? Impossible, absolutely impossible! I have been so meticulous in my actions, how could there be any mistakes? Or perhaps he has something else to ask me about, I must not lose my composure!
Yuan Shang took a deep breath, then bowed to Sun Qian, his tone becoming more serious: "I was unaware of your arrival, Mr. Sun. Please forgive my failure to greet you properly."

Sun Qian smiled gently and returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "Young Master Shang is too kind. I have come here only to convey the Left General's military order. Recently, the Liaodong Prefect Gongsun Du lost the Donglai counties, which he had cultivated for many years, because his appointed Yingzhou Governor Liu Yi was defeated by Zhang Liao. Therefore, he deeply resents Cao Cao and intends to form an alliance with the Left General. The Left General also intends to form an alliance with Gongsun Du, so he sent me to Shiyi to ask Young Master Shang, Young Master Xi, and Governor Gao to return to Zhuo County as soon as possible, as he has important matters to entrust to you."

Yuan Shang glanced at Yan Liang and Wen Chou behind Sun Qian, and asked with suspicion, "If you have important matters to entrust to me, you can send a messenger with a letter. Instead, Yan Liang and Wen Chou have led their troops to break in. Isn't that a bit too impolite?"

Yuan Xi and Gao Gan also watched Sun Qian warily.

Why bring troops when a simple letter could have solved the problem, especially with Yan Liang and Wen Chou in command? How can this not arouse suspicion?

Sun Qian remained calm and replied without hesitation, "Young Master Shang misunderstands. The alliance with Gongsun Du was a sudden and important matter. The urgent summons of the three of you to Zhuo County was also a secret, and we must not let Cao Cao's spies know about it. That is why General Guan sent General Yan and General Wen to lead troops here. Please forgive any rudeness, Young Master Shang."

Yuan Shang stared intently at Sun Qian, trying to find a flaw in his words, but Sun Qian's words were watertight, giving Yuan Shang no chance to question him.

"I see." Yuan Shangqiang suppressed his unease and tried to stall for time: "Forming an alliance with Liaodong is indeed an important matter. However, the three of us are governors, holding important positions. If we leave suddenly, there may be oversights in the affairs of the prefectures and counties. Why don't you let Consort Sun report back first, and we will go to Zhuo County in person after we have made our preparations? What do you think?"

Sun Qian secretly scoffed, "The three of you hold nominal positions, what kind of state or county affairs could you possibly have? If you're going to make an excuse, at least come up with a plausible one. This way of shirking responsibility makes me look clumsy."

Despite his disdain, Sun Qian's tone carried an undeniable air of authority: "Young Master Shang is overthinking it. General Zuo is well aware of the weighty responsibilities of the three of you, and therefore ordered me to personally escort you on your journey without a moment's delay! General Zuo will handle the affairs of the prefecture and county, and General Guan can also take care of them. As for your luggage, we can send someone to pack it and deliver it to Zhuo County later."

As they spoke, Yan Liang and Wen Chou stepped forward together, their hands on their swords, and the atmosphere in the hall suddenly became tense.

Seeing this, Yuan Shang, Yuan Xi, and Gao Gan felt a chill run down their spines. It was more like an escort than a formality; the visitors were clearly up to no good!

Taking a deep breath, Yuan Shangqiang composed himself: "Constable Sun! Even if General Zuo has important business to summon you, why the rush? Besides, we are all governors appointed by the imperial court. If word gets out that we are facing each other with weapons, as if we are guarding against bandits, wouldn't it cause controversy and make people say that General Zuo is disrespecting officials appointed by the imperial court?" Seeing Yuan Shang still struggling and seemingly threatening, Sun Qian's polite smile vanished, and his expression gradually turned serious: "Young Master Shang, you are mistaken! It is precisely because of your noble status and the importance of the Hebei plan that General Zuo is being extra cautious! Cao Cao is cunning, and his spies are everywhere, having been watching us for a long time. Shiyi borders Wei; if he discovers our whereabouts, he could abduct us halfway or secretly poison us, plotting to kill you and then frame General Zuo. By then, it would be too late to regret! General Guan is worried about your safety, so he specially dispatched the two fierce generals Yan and Wen with elite troops to 'protect' you, which is truly a foolproof plan. A few criticisms are nothing compared to the safety of our lord and the great cause of Hebei. If you truly understand General Zuo's good intentions, you should set off immediately to eliminate any worries!"

Sun Qian emphasized his last sentence, adding a touch of grimness to it.

Having said this, not only was the pretext of "General Zuo being negligent to the court officials" silenced, but the military action was also cleverly disguised as "preventing assassination by Cao Cao," leaving Yuan Shang speechless.

After Sun Qian finished speaking, Yan Liang made a "clang" sound, revealing half of his sword unsheathed, and said in a deep, thunderous voice, "Please move to the carriage!"

Although Wen Chou remained silent, his burly body shifted half a step to the side, looking fierce and menacing.

Yuan Shang's face turned from green to white.

Gao Gan was drenched in cold sweat, his inner shirt soaked through, while Yuan Xi was trembling uncontrollably.

Knowing that the task was futile, Yuan Shang had no choice but to accept his fate and replied, "General Sun's plans are far-sighted and his concerns are absolutely correct! Cao Cao is known for his treacherous tricks and may indeed harm us and frame General Zuo. We shall proceed immediately."

Sun Qianfu resumed his polite smile: "Young Master Shang is wise, please move to the carriage."

As soon as Yuan Shang and his two companions left, the assassins they had secretly recruited in Shiyi were wiped out, and the "officials under the governor's office" who wanted to follow Yuan Shang for wealth and power were also arrested.

The power that Yuan Shang had painstakingly cultivated over several months was nipped in the bud before it could even be put to use.

During the sweep and arrest operation, Wen Chou also found evidence of Yuan Shang's secret correspondence with Cao Cao.

Examining the contents of the letter, Sun Qian couldn't help but sneer inwardly: with this letter in hand, even if Yuan Shao doted on Yuan Shang, he would never plead for Yuan Shang again.

As Sun Qian predicted, when Yuan Shao saw the evidence of Yuan Shang's correspondence with Cao Cao, he was so angry that he cursed Yuan Shang as "unfilial!"

Subsequently, Yuan Shao personally wrote a letter to Liu Bei, instructing Liu Bei to send Yuan Shang, Yuan Xi, and Gao Gan to Liaodong to reflect on their actions. He told them that if they could not figure things out, they should not return to Hebei.

This was also Yuan Shao's last attempt to secure a livelihood for Yuan Shang, Yuan Xi, and Gao Gan. With Xu You in Liaodong, as long as the three behaved themselves and didn't cause trouble, their lives were secure. In the future, once Liu Bei had fully risen to power, they might even be able to achieve some merit. (End of Chapter)