Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 154 Throughout history, no ruler and his minister have benefited more than Yuan Shao and Fengxiao.

Led by Lu Xun, Zhao Yun slowly walked into the study. This was Zhao Yun's first time meeting Lord Yuan.

Incense ash permeates the air, and swirling mist obscures a mysterious figure behind a cascading beaded curtain.

The person seemed to be sitting alone on a cloud, his eyes unfathomable, his face indistinct amidst the swirling clouds.

Only on that plain white robe, a bright yellow five-clawed golden dragon appeared and disappeared from the clouds, its golden vertical pupils looking down at him indifferently.

Dragon robe!!!

Zhao Yun, who had been fighting against foreign tribes on the border with Gongsun Zan for many years, had never seen anything like this before.

I was startled!
As the saying goes, everyone knows what Yuan Gonglu is thinking. It turns out that this is not an exaggeration. Zhao Yun only met him once and already knew what he was thinking.

What should we do?

Even someone as resolute as Zhao Yun couldn't help but feel flustered and confused when he suddenly encountered such a thing.

Should I, at this moment, change color in anger, speak out for the Han emperor, and denounce the traitors to demonstrate my loyalty?

However, he now carries the high hopes of General Gongsun. At present, Yuan Shao's offensive is swift and difficult for General Gongsun to maintain on his own. He urgently needs to be sent to make distant alliances and attack nearby enemies, and to win over Yuan Shu for assistance.

He denounced the traitors to the country upon meeting them, which was considered loyal to the Han Dynasty. But if he messed up the important matter and killed General Gongsun, how could he be considered loyal?
But seeing a person right in front of him, dressed in a dragon robe and sitting on a cloud, while he remained silent, Zhao Yun felt something was off.

Besides, I have stumbled upon such a secret of his today. Would this Lord Yuan use this as an excuse to keep me here and forcibly prevent me from leaving?
For a moment, Zhao Yun was in a state of utter confusion, and stood frozen in place, completely at a loss.

In contrast to Zhao Yun's panic, Yuan Shu sized him up as if admiring a rare treasure, and said with a smile:

"Since Zilong has come, what brings you here?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yun sighed softly to himself.

The fact that he didn't immediately denounce the traitors upon meeting them clearly shows that he had already made his decision.

He tacitly accepted the dragon robe worn by Yuan Shu and bowed respectfully.

"Reporting to the General."

The former general, by imperial decree, was granted the authority to oversee the affairs of the four provinces of You, Bing, Qing, and Ji, and served under Marquis Yi, Gongsun Zan.

General Zhao Yun, who came from Youzhou, hereby requests an audience with the General.

I am carrying with me one letter each from General Gongsun and Mr. Fengxiao. Please open them personally, General.

“Since this is a letter sent by Zilong from a thousand miles away, I should take a look at it.”

As Yuan Shu nodded slightly, Lu Xun immediately took the letter from Zhao Yun and handed it over.

Yuan Shu opened them one by one. First was Fengxiao's letter, which read:

[To Yuan Gong himself:]
It is as if we are meeting in person upon receiving this letter. I am deeply grateful for your kindness and understanding, Mr. Yuan. I am truly grateful for your help and assistance.

】

Then it goes on to describe how he realized something was wrong, how he escaped from Yuan Shao, and how he was captured by Gongsun Zan, and so on.

【.
Whatever Yuan Gong's previous schemes may have been, they should all have been directed at Jia Shen.

Considering Fengxiao's important reputation and his repeated "advice" to Lord Yuan, we must not abandon Jia!
As the saying goes, "When the birds are all gone, the bow is put away; when the rabbit is all dead, the dog is cooked." But now, the birds are not all gone, and the rabbit is not dead.

Cao Cao held the emperor hostage and commanded the feudal lords, gaining a reputation for righteousness and issuing orders to the world, which none dared to disobey.

Yuan Shao, possessing the four provinces of Ji, Qing, You, and Bing, unified the north and controlled one-third of the country. He was as powerful as a whale swallowing a tiger!
Although Yuan Shao held the strategic advantage of the Yangtze River, commanded the talents of the Jianghuai region, and enjoyed wealth and prosperity, his fame had not yet reached the heights of the Zhou dynasty, and his military strength was not as formidable as that of the Qin dynasty.

To contend for the world, one needs wise advisors to assist one's cause and brave generals to support one's cause.

Gongsun Bogui, his bones lie in the tomb.

Although Zhao Yun, one of his military commanders, was not given important positions, Jia had personally captured him that day and had often "protected" him in Gongsun's camp, so he knew his abilities well.

Although I am not talented, I have been honored to serve as Lord Yuan's chief strategist and should advise him accordingly. I hereby request General Gongsun to send Yun as a messenger. Lord Yuan should treat him with sincerity and earnestness.

We should try our best to grant Gongsun Zan's requests in his letter, firstly to protect Jia's life, and secondly to win over Gongsun Zan's followers under the guise of an ally.

When Gongsun Bogui dies, Jia will surely give all his inheritance and bring Zhao Yun to join him.

I earnestly hope that Lord Yuan will uphold the bond between ruler and subject, and never betray it.

Yuan Shu: "."

In this letter, Yuan Shu didn't see any mysterious Fengxiao, but rather Guo Jia with an overwhelming will to survive.

How afraid was he that if he didn't agree to Gongsun Zan's conditions to protect him, he would just abandon him there, allowing Gongsun Zan to take Cao Cao's money and then execute him?
First, he tricked Zhao Yun into delivering a letter to seduce him, and then he promised to keep him on his toes by giving him Gongsun Zan's inheritance after his death.

Good, good, good, Guo Jia, so you're plotting against your Lord Yuan, aren't you?

Is there any trust left between us, the ruler and his subjects?
Everyone knows that you, Guo Fengxiao, are my strategist. Putting aside everything else, just for the sake of Zilong in front of you, how could your Lord Yuan not care about you?

Isn't it just about giving money to guarantee someone's safety?

Whatever Cao Cao offers, I'll offer ten times that amount!
After reading Guo Jia's letter, Yuan Shu roughly understood what was going on.

So, to Zhao Yun's disbelief, he placed the unopened letter from Gongsun Zan into the incense burner in front of him.

It burned to ashes little by little amidst the rising smoke.

Zhao Yun's expression changed drastically. "General, what do you mean? Is Master Fengxiao still alive?"

"Zilong, please calm down."

A pinch of incense ash was tucked into a handful and turned into a final shower of sparks.

"General Gongsun's meaning is self-evident."

Don't worry, Zilong, I'll give him even more than he wants!
However, this is an alliance between the two companies, a cooperative deal, not a case of being threatened!

As he spoke, he rose from the clouds and smoke, dressed in white dragon robes, like a banished immortal descending to earth.

"Boyan, make arrangements to show Zilong and these White Horse Cavalry who have come from afar the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry under Zhongkang's command!"

"Tiger and Leopard Cavalry?"

Zhao Yun was startled again upon hearing this. How dare Yuan Gong, who was located in the south, train elite cavalry under his command?
Not to mention Zhao Yun, even Lu Xun was a little stunned at this moment.

Where did these Tiger and Leopard Cavalry come from? Teacher, you didn't teach us about them beforehand!

Upon hearing that it was under Xu Chu's command, Lu Xun immediately realized, "Oh, so it's the personal guard battalion!"

The Tiger and Leopard Cavalry is a newly created force, a concoction from Youzhou. You've never seen one before, have you?

In short, Zhao Yun soon witnessed the so-called "Tiger and Leopard Cavalry" under Yuan Shu's personal guidance.

Those who could serve as Yuan Shu's personal guards were naturally the best of the best, and just a few days ago, the Xiongnu Left Wise King, who came from nature, sent him a batch of fine Xiongnu horses.

With their new horses, they appeared even more majestic and imposing. In particular, the twenty-eight riders at the front were all heavily armored, making their charge virtually unstoppable and invincible.

Even the White Horse Cavalry, who roamed the north, felt terrified at the thought of being rammed by these iron lumps.

Upon seeing this, Yuan Shu smiled and pointed to the twenty-eight heavy cavalrymen, saying to Zhao Yun:
"Zilong, if half of the White Horse Cavalry were all wearing this armor, could they defeat Yuan Shao?"

That being said, Yuan Shu himself didn't actually have many of these heavy armors.

But it doesn't matter, Guo Jia can use Zhao Yun and Gongsun Zan's inheritance to keep himself in the loop by using other people's things.

Of course, I could also use fictitious heavy cavalry to keep Guo Jia alive.

No ancient ruler and his ministers could have achieved such a harmonious relationship.

(End of this chapter)