I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 405 The World Belongs to a Family

"it's not true!"

Guo Tu offered an explanation for Yuan Tan.

"Your Highness's actions are ultimately aimed at accumulating strength to defeat Liu Miao and pacify the world!"

Guo Tu asked Shen Pei, "Your Highness's wish is to kill Liu Miao and destroy the false Han! Can such a person be called a traitor or a collaborator with the Han?"

Shen Pei angrily retorted, "It's clearly just flattery and deceit!"

"How can we fight a war if we send so many warhorses south?"

"Why can't we fight?"

Guo Tu knew that he had to secure this opportunity for Yuan Tan!
"Why can't we fight? Even though we've been sending Liu Miao a lot of warhorses over the past two years, can the number of cavalry in the south possibly exceed that in the north?"

In terms of the number of warhorses, the North still holds a strong and overwhelming advantage over the South!
"Moreover, His Majesty has decided to conscript cavalry from the Wuhuan and Southern Xiongnu for this battle!"

Guo Tu declared emphatically, "In terms of cavalry numbers, our Great Zhao still far surpasses Liu Miao!"

Shen Pei finally fell into the trap set by Guo Tu: "Guo Tu! Don't you know that the main force in the battle now is heavy cavalry?"

"Of course I know!"

Guo Tu responded: "Then you should also know that Cao Mengde once used heavy infantry to break through heavy cavalry under the walls of Xuchang!"

Shen Pei immediately sensed something was wrong!

Guo Tu also revealed the only chance Yuan Tan could have had to survive—

"Your Highness has now assembled a heavily armored infantry force in Guanzhong, specifically to counter Liu Miao's heavy cavalry!"

Guo Tu conveyed the exact words Yuan Tan had said to him in Guanzhong.

"When we face Liu Miao in the final battle, he'll be at the forefront!"

"Let him fight the battle! Let him die! When the time comes, everything Liu Miao gained from Hebei will be returned, not a single penny less!"

Guo Tu was almost roaring at this moment! A tearing pain was already rising in his throat.

"Is this kind of person a treacherous minister? A traitor?"

"Which traitor wants to destroy the nation and bring ruin to the country? Shen Zhengnan! Tell me, who is the traitor?"

The judges were immediately stunned.

It wasn't Guo Tu's ruthlessness at that moment that intimidated him, but rather the eldest son of Guo Tu, Yuan Tan, who was far away in Guanzhong.

He fights the battles! He dies!
Yuan Tan was willing to risk his life to win the battle against Liu Miao, and at the same time, to gain the throne of the Great Zhao!
When Yuan Tan went to Guanzhong, he had nothing left. What he was doing now was a desperate gamble with his life on the line!
Shen Pei's tone softened slightly at this point, but he still insisted: "One thing at a time! Your Majesty, I request that you immediately detain Yuan Tan and thoroughly investigate this matter!"

Snapped!
Just as Shen Pei uttered those words, a heavy letter slammed to the ground.

"Zhengnan, take a look."

Shen Pei picked up the letter with a puzzled look on his face, but then his face turned pale instantly!

His mouth was dry as he looked at Yuan Shao: "Your Majesty, this, this is..."

"It was sent to me by the traitor you call him."

Shen Pei lowered his head in disbelief to look through the contents of the letter. When he got to the middle of it, he closed his eyes and looked up at the sky with a sad expression on his face.

Guo Tu, who was standing nearby, was curious and went to take a look as well, wondering what Yuan Tan had sent to Yuan Shao.

But when Guo Tu saw what was on it, he also shuddered, and then tried to look away from the letter, as if it were some kind of death warrant...

“Before you arrived, Xiansi wrote me a letter informing me of his trade with Liu Miao and handed me this list.”

Yuan Shao never opened his eyes from beginning to end. No matter how much the person in front of him cried, made a fuss, or cursed, he couldn't get a single glance from him.

"My son has truly made something of himself."

"That list contains all the names of those involved in smuggling."

"Shocking!"

Yuan Shao's final lament was not without reason.

That roster contained almost half of the current high-ranking officials and ministers of Northern Zhao!

In addition, there were powerful prefects in various regions and generals leading troops in the army!
check?
How to check?
If this matter is truly investigated and these people are brought to justice, Northern Zhao will be finished in an instant!

What's the point of talking about a southern expedition or unification then? We'd be lucky if Liu Miao didn't take advantage of the chaos to attack!
So Shenpei closed his eyes.

When he saw the list, he was already heartbroken.

This matter must not be investigated!

This boil needs to be covered up!

Once this problem is exposed, the prestige and rule of the Northern Zhao court will suffer a great blow!
Now, it's not just "my son is also fluent in Chinese."

Now, it's already the case that "even my ministers are fluent in Chinese!"
The problem now is that whoever makes a move will die!
There is absolutely nothing that can be done about this matter.

He never imagined that such a shocking and heinous incident would occur right under his nose in the Northern Zhao court!

Yuan Tan openly sent such a thing to Yuan Shao, showing that he was completely fearless!
Because Yuan Tan didn't believe that Yuan Shao and the entire central government of Hebei would disregard Liu Miao, a formidable enemy, and risk internal strife and division in Hebei to thoroughly investigate this matter!

Now, Yuan Tan has not only bound some of the powerful clans of Hebei to his side, but also the entire Zhao court to his side!
The central government of Zhao must agree to Yuan Tan's demands!

Otherwise, before the truth comes out, Yuan Shao's hard-earned foundation will be destroyed!
Shen Pei was certainly aware of Yuan Tan's intentions.

He just didn't understand.

I don't understand why Yuan Shao could handle this matter so calmly!

Yuan Tan's actions have thoroughly challenged Yuan Shao's imperial authority!

But judging from Yuan Shao's current demeanor, he doesn't seem angry about this at all?
...Although he closed his eyes, Yuan Shao seemed to be able to sense Shen Pei's scrutinizing gaze.

Yuan Shao finally opened his eyes.

"if not?"

"Otherwise, would I personally mount my horse and fight against my own son?"

"absurd!"

Yuan Shao's reply sent Shen Pei into an icy abyss!
It was only then that he realized that Yuan Shao was the emperor! The emperor who ruled the country as a family!

He was not the ruler of Hebei, but a ruler who only considered the gains and losses from the perspective of the people of Hebei!
From Yuan Shao's perspective, was there anything wrong with Yuan Tan's actions?

Through smuggling, they had already won over many powerful families in Hebei.

If Yuan Tan could stabilize the state, or even defeat Liu Miao on the battlefield and seize the world, what would be wrong with trading with Liu Miao?

It's nothing more than a few more people in Hebei dying.

Exchanging a lowly commoner for a qualified heir, no matter how you look at it, doesn't seem unacceptable to Yuan Shao.

In particular, Yuan Tan's initiative to confess and present the roster was a very good point.

It can be said that Yuan Tan's actions were a display of power, a coercion and hijacking of the entire central government in Hebei.

On the other hand, it can also be said that Yuan Tan ultimately handed over the power of choice to Yuan Shao.

They have the right to offend imperial authority, yet they do not do so...

Even Shen Pei had to admit that Yuan Tan had done a truly brilliant job this time.

Having experienced more than a decade of trials in turbulent times, Yuan Tan may not have been as adept as figures like Yuan Shao or Cao Cao, but his years of experience had clearly given him a rather sophisticated way of handling things.

"Ugh……"

Just then, a palace servant came to report that Yuan Shang was requesting an audience.

After entering the palace, Yuan Shang looked at Shen Pei with a smug expression, striding with an air of arrogance, as if to tell Shen Pei: This time it's all settled!

Yuan Shang immediately prostrated himself on the ground, holding the document in his hands—

"Your Majesty! Your subject has something to report!"

"A minister has come to report that someone has transported a large number of warhorses from Youzhou to Hedong! These warhorses have since disappeared without a trace, which is highly suspicious! I implore Your Majesty to thoroughly investigate this matter!"

"..."

Yuan Shang was complacent and self-satisfied.

That's a very direct way of saying it!
Yuan Shang practically named Yuan Tan, the current governor of Guanzhong, as the one smuggling warhorses with Liu Miao!
This is a serious crime of treason!
If Yuan Tan survives this time, then Yuan Shang will take his surname from now on!

Unexpectedly...

Yuan Shang thought that his bombshell revelation would shock Yuan Shao, Shen Pei, and Guo Tu.

But at this moment, the palace was silent.

"Ugh?"

Yuan Shang wondered if the three men were too old to hear him.

He himself said that Yuan Tan was involved in smuggling warhorses! That's a heinous crime of treason and rebellion!

But why didn't these three people react at all?

"Didn't Father hear me?"

Yuan Shang asked again, but was met with silence once more.

"Father..."

"His Majesty is already aware of this matter."

Ultimately, Shen Pei couldn't bear to see Yuan Shang stand there like a block of wood, so he could only offer a word of advice.

Since Yuan Shao already knows about this matter and hasn't made any move yet, Yuan Shang should obviously know when to stop and withdraw quickly.

But Yuan Shang clearly did not understand Shen Pei's meaning.

"Your Majesty! The decree to sever trade ties with the false Han dynasty was personally issued by you! Especially now that warhorses are involved, it should be thoroughly investigated!"

Yuan Shang, seemingly unwilling to give up, kept urging him on.

Having finally seized an opportunity that would ensure Yuan Tan's complete downfall, how could Yuan Shang not make the most of it?

As long as Yuan Tan is killed, Yuan Shang will lose his biggest rival!

Yuan Xi, the second son, took the blame for Yuan Shao and signed the humiliating "Langya Alliance" with Liu Miao in Langya, along with his fiancée Zhen Shi. He had completely lost his qualification to inherit the throne. No matter how you look at it, the last position should have been Yuan Shang's!
Now that things have come to this, how could Yuan Shang possibly give up?
Little did they know that Yuan Shang's anxious appearance caused both Yuan Shao and Shen Pei to turn slightly pale.

Compared to Yuan Tan's shrewd tactic of sending a roster, Yuan Shang's current attempt to guide Yuan Shao to kill Yuan Tan undoubtedly appears far too naive.

Although Yuan Shang was considered to be exceptionally intelligent.

But clearly, because he was so well protected by Yuan Shao, he forgot that the world was in chaos!
Intrigue and scheming are ultimately unacceptable in chaotic times.

Yuan Shao seemed to be getting a little impatient.

He asked Yuan Shang a question.

Just from those words, Yuan Shang felt a chill run down his neck, as if a sharp blade had sliced ​​through the gaps in his bones.

"Xianfu... is that why you're in such a hurry for your elder brother to die?"

(End of this chapter)