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

Chapter 253 Kong Ming is young and unruly; this humble subject is obligated to discipline him.

Inside the main hall, the sound of bronze chimes echoed softly, and wisps of smoke, like a light veil, swirled and lingered.

Yuan Shu sat alone on the high platform, his gaze sharp and unfathomable.

Zhuge Jin walked slowly into the main hall, his expression respectful, not daring to look up, and bowed deeply to Yuan Shu.

"Your subject Zhuge Jin greets Your Majesty. May I ask why Your Majesty has summoned me here?"

Yuan Shu slightly raised his hand, indicating that he should dispense with the formalities, his eyes seemingly bright yet dim, full of profound meaning.

"Ziyu, how did it go when I asked you to persuade your younger brother Kongming to come out of seclusion and assist me?"

"This"

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Jin's heart skipped a beat, and he opened his mouth several times, but he didn't know how to answer.

Ever since he conquered Nanyang and established his capital in Jingzhou, his lord has always asked him about Kongming whenever they meet.

It's one or two times, and I can always find a way to put it off and procrastinate, but it happens every single time.

Faced with Yuan Shu's repeated claims of being fine, yet still revealing a hint of disappointment in his eyes, Zhuge Jin felt he had failed his lord's high expectations and was hesitant to even meet Yuan Shu anymore.

It was his own second brother, who had been very opinionated and intelligent since childhood. He must have guessed why he was looking for him. Now, not only could he not see anyone else, but even his own older brother could not see him. How could he persuade him?
Faced with Yuan Shu's question, he could only sigh, looking helpless, and replied:
"Reporting to my lord, I have visited Kongming several times recently, but have not been able to meet him."

I only heard from his servant boy that he had gone into the mountains to gather herbs, and no one knew when he would return.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Zhuge Jin could see a hint of melancholy in his lord's eyes, but his lord still comforted him.

"I don't want to be unlucky. Since your brother is not at home, Ziyu doesn't need to worry about it."

Seeing that he had disappointed his lord once again, and that his lord, now the King of Han, was not angry but instead comforted him, how could Zhuge Jin not be moved?

What a fine lord you are, Kongming! You have been wise all your life, how could you be so foolish as to believe those rumors and gossip about seeking a wise ruler?

But with a wise ruler right before you, how can you be so blind as to turn a blind eye?

Zhuge Jin felt a bit resentful and annoyed with his second brother, but since they were brothers, he still tried to persuade him.

"My lord, Kongming may have been confused for a moment. After all, he is still young. Perhaps we should not force him?"
You need not be in a hurry. You may wait a few years. At that time, you will uphold the righteousness of the King of Han and support the Han Dynasty. Wherever the Han army goes, it will sweep away the feudal lords and make the situation of the world clear at a glance.

If Jin were to persuade him again then, he would surely convince Kongming to come out of seclusion and assist him.

Yuan Shu: "."

The situation in the world is crystal clear; why would you need to offer advice?
I'm worried about whether Kongming will come out of seclusion to help. I'm worried that if he goes out and goes after that Liu Bei, wouldn't he just be causing trouble for himself?
If he weren't afraid of hurting Kongming's feelings and causing them to become distant, he would have sent Xu Chu to do what Zhang Fei did and kidnap him.

Yuan Shu's gaze darkened slightly. He didn't respond to his words, but instead began to mutter to himself.

"Ziyu, if I am able to restore the Han Dynasty and rebuild the Han court in the future, should we also appoint the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers?"
What standards do you think should be used to allocate these resources in the future, and how should they be selected so that everyone can be convinced?
Who should be chosen for the position of Prime Minister? It's really hard to guess.

Why did you bring this up for no reason, my lord?

With Zhuge Jin's intelligence, how could he not guess that possibility? It's just that he couldn't quite believe it.

Logically speaking, according to seniority, this position should belong to Yan Xiang.

The only good news is that Lord Yan is getting old, and once he can no longer work, these young people will still have a chance.

But what does it mean that our lord is bringing this up now? Could it be that...?
Before Zhuge Jin could even be surprised, Yuan Shu ordered someone to hand over two letters, which were exactly the same as the ones he had given to Cao Anmin earlier.

"I have been pondering the methods for selecting and appointing officials recently, and I have come up with this plan, which I am eager to implement."

It was by chance that Ziyu came by, so he bestowed this "Prime Minister's Merit Register" upon you two brothers.

You only need to accumulate ten great merits to obtain the position of Prime Minister. If you can bring Kongming back on this trip, you will be credited with a great merit.

"There are two portions in total, one for you and one for Kongming. If you two brothers both achieve your goals perfectly, then the positions of Left and Right Chancellors of the Han Dynasty may very well be yours for the Zhuge family."

As Yuan Shu spoke, he personally stood up, walked to Zhuge Jin, raised his hand and patted him heavily on the shoulder, saying:

"Lord Yan is old, and his virtuous brothers are all highly talented, possessing the ability to govern the world and encompass the secrets of the universe."

"Now you must strive diligently and not disappoint my expectations."

Even with Zhuge Jin's intelligence, he was stunned by Yuan Shu's grand gesture.

The Prime Minister's Record of Merits!
I received two copies at once!
This is written in black and white. In the future, as long as you have ten great merits, you can come to the lord to exchange for it.

Zhuge Jin dared not even imagine that scene.

The two prime ministers of the Han Dynasty were none other than the Zhuge brothers.
Two prime ministers from one family—what a high level of trust and prestige this family must have!

The Zhuge family is about to rise to the top in one step, soaring to great heights and achieving instant success.

Our lord is bound to ascend the throne and become emperor, so wouldn't the Zhuge family become the number one family in the world?

Uncle! I have done it!
I have not disappointed you; the restoration of the Zhuge family's honor will begin today!
Thinking that bringing his second brother over would be an enormous achievement, how could Zhuge Jin resist?

If we miss this opportunity, when will we ever get such an easy and incredible opportunity to achieve something for free?

Thinking of this, he immediately bowed down to Yuan Shu.

"My lord's kindness is so great that even if I were to die, I could not repay even a fraction of it!"

"Your Majesty, I humbly request that you lend me 30,000 troops. I will surely bring Zhuge Liang here within a month."

Yuan Shu: "???"

Playing around is playing around, but I'm asking you to ask your brother to come out of seclusion. Why are you asking me for troops?
"Ziyu, don't get agitated. After all, he is your beloved family and friends, your brother. If it's not necessary, don't resort to violence and hurt your feelings."

"My lord, you may not know this, but my younger brother is young and unruly and needs to be disciplined."

He has now hidden himself in the mountains, and it is difficult for others to find him.

The only way is to mobilize a large army to search the mountains and seas and find the person.

Zhuge Jin's voice and expression were stern, a stark contrast to his previous demeanor, now that of a strict father.

"As long as I can see Kongming, my father has passed away and my elder brother is my father."

As his elder brother, I will certainly discipline him well, so that he can distinguish right from wrong, understand righteousness, and know what is right, what is wrong, what is loyalty, and what is thievery!

Upon hearing Zhuge Jin's words, even Yuan Shu was stunned into silence. Good heavens, people are like wooden sculptures; they can't be forced to stay still.

Once you're pushed, your initiative will be mobilized, and you'll come up with a solution, right?
After the Xuzhou Incident, almost all the elders of the Zhuge family died, and Zhuge Jin became the head of the Zhuge family.

Furthermore, after the father's death, the eldest brother became the father. According to the Three Cardinal Guides and Five Constant Virtues, the father is the guide for the son. If the father wants the son to die, the son has no choice but to die.

When Zhuge Jin was pushed to the limit, he resorted to using the concept of filial piety, emphasizing the importance of elder brother as a father figure.

In the Han Dynasty, which placed the utmost importance on filial piety, Zhuge Liang had no choice but to comply unless he wanted to cut himself off from scholars and live in anonymity for the rest of his life.

Alright, alright. You were just trying to fool me when you said your younger brother was hiding and that I really couldn't do anything about it.
You, the head of the Zhuge family, always thought you couldn't put all your eggs in one basket. Since Zhuge Liang himself was unwilling, you just let him have his way, right?

Now that I have granted your Zhuge family the honor of having two prime ministers, an unprecedented glory and a legendary tale, you can't help but go all in, right?
Yuan Shu laughed, but he pretended to hesitate.

"Mobilizing troops might frighten your younger brother."

"Now that Ziyu has a way to persuade Kongming, why not wait until he returns home before visiting him?" "My lord! We cannot wait."

Sure enough, Zhuge Jin was even more anxious than Yuan Shu at this moment.

"Delay will only lead to unforeseen changes."

My younger brother is unruly, yet also intelligent and alert. If we don't take advantage of his time gathering herbs in the mountains and catch him off guard, we'll have to capture him in one fell swoop.
Your Majesty, I suggest that we gently persuade and discipline him, for I fear that if he returns home and realizes something is amiss, he might wander off again and never return.

Yuan Shu pretended to be reluctant, as if he had only agreed after being persuaded several times, and sighed.

"Since Mr. Ziyu insists, I cannot refuse. So be it."

Now that General Xing has returned, his Fengtian Army, after being reorganized and selected by Zhou Tai from the Xiangyang troops, now numbers 50,000.

Go and find General Xing, tell him you want to lend him a hand, and that he will be credited for this small favor. He will surely agree readily and do his utmost to help.

Zhuge Jin bowed deeply, said "Yes," and left with great enthusiasm.

Watching his receding figure, Yuan Shu picked up the honey water on the table, took a small sip, and smiled inscrutably.

It's not that people like Cao Anmin and Zhuge Jin were fools, treating a document called the "Prime Minister's Merit Register" like a priceless treasure.

Rather, there is an information gap here.

In their minds, how could the King of Han possibly deny the "Chancellor's Merit Register" written in black and white, given his golden words?

Are we to abandon the King of Han's reputation and prestige?
But these were civil and military officials born and raised in the Han Dynasty under the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers system.

No matter how brilliant or resourceful you are, how could you possibly have foreseen that the King of Han would eventually implement the Three Departments and Six Ministries system?

Whether it was the prime minister or the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, these high-ranking officials and nobles who had existed for hundreds of years since the pre-Qin period are now only left with this last glimmer of their glory.

At that time, the world will be created anew, a new dynasty will be established, and the world will be in a state of unprecedented change.

Chancellor? Grand Commandant? One of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers?

seal up! All sealed!

The Three Departments and Six Ministries govern the world, and you former prime ministers are now trying to control the new dynasty's power.
Very well, who can blame me for being so benevolent?
The world is so vast, it's not impossible to fulfill all the promises in due time. You are the Prime Minister of Parthia, he is the Prime Minister of Kushan, and this is the Prime Minister of Great Qin (Rome).

The mighty Han Dynasty, blessed by Heaven with all nations, how could one or two prime ministers be sufficient?

Meanwhile, on the other side, outside Luoyang City.

The setting sun was like blood, and the fiery clouds on the horizon dyed half the sky red.

Cao Cao reined in his weary warhorse and gazed into the distance at the familiar yet unfamiliar city of Luoyang.

"They're back, they're finally back."

The Cao army behind him was sparse, their faces showing numbness and exhaustion from surviving a disaster.

The total number of troops was no more than three thousand survivors, the last of Cao Cao's army that Cao Cao himself led, shouting "Catch the traitor Cao!" and barely managed to escape from Wancheng.

Instead, the banners bearing the characters "Wen" and "Liu" behind them fluttered in the wind, forming a neat and orderly military formation.

It was Wen Ping's 20,000 Jingzhou soldiers and Liu Bei's 30,000 Yuzhou soldiers.

It's a sad story, not because Cao Cao was so magnanimous as to insist on bringing these two foreign armies back to Luoyang.

In reality, he only had three thousand Cao soldiers under his command. The fact that he was able to return to Luoyang safely after stopping and starting along the way was all thanks to his racking his brains. He used Wen Ping's army to intimidate Liu Bei, and then used Liu Bei's army to intimidate Wen Ping.

By playing both sides so skillfully, neither dared to act rashly, and by promising the emperor a great reward upon their return to Luoyang, they managed to stumble and escape back to Luoyang by sheer luck.

If they refuse to let them come to Luoyang halfway through, and a real commotion breaks out, it's hard to say who will live and who will die between Liu Bei and Wen Ping.

Cao Mengde, with his mere three thousand armored soldiers, would inevitably be the first to be eliminated.

Luoyang!
Once he arrived in Luoyang, with Cao Ren, Yu Jin, and Li Dian's troops as his support, he no longer needed to be so hypocritical and cautious.

Fortunately, his plan already included the destination of Wen Ping and Liu Bei's army. One would block Nanyang, and the other would block Yingchuan, thus serving as the gateway to Luoyang.

In addition, he has been holding banquets and parties every day to win people over, and has finally made some progress in the literary recruitment process.

Although Guan Yu is stubborn and always brings Xuan De to banquets, he may not be able to obey his orders.

But it doesn't matter. As long as we enter Luoyang and control the emperor, with Xuande's blind loyalty, he should be able to lure Guan Yu away and lead his army to guard the passes.

By using Wen Ping and Liu Bei to block Yuan Shu, while he himself plotted his own development and waited for the right opportunity, he might still have a chance to contend for the world.

Cao Cao squinted, gazing intently at the distant city of Luoyang, its outline blurred in the twilight, his hand gripping the reins until they turned white.

The fire that burned all night in Wancheng;
Dian Wei's dying roar as he bravely blocked the door;

Cao Anmin's cry as he was cut down by Zhang Xiu's flying spear;
Cao Ang changed his horse and turned to face the enemy on foot, his body stained with blood.

……

[I, Dian, am no longer able to protect those around me. I am here to serve my lord and be ordered to punish the traitors!]

May our lord's mighty reign last for a thousand generations!

Anmin can no longer attend to his uncle and serve him medicine.

May my uncle's empire last forever, and may the world's hearts be with him.

The debt of gratitude owed to one's own flesh and blood should be repaid with the same gratitude!

With the blood of children, a mighty empire will be built for generations to come!

The calls still echo in my ears, and the past events flash by. Even Cao Cao, who would rather betray the world than let the world betray him, was a figure of great significance.

Whenever he thinks of the defeat at Wancheng, he is overcome with grief, which is hard to express.

"Evil Lai! Zi Xiu! Pacify the people!"
Just you wait and see; this eternal legacy will surely not be betrayed.

However, before he could give the order to lead his men back to the city, he saw a fast horse galloping out from the distant gate of Luoyang, rushing towards him.

"Prime Minister, please proceed with caution."

Xun Lingjun sent an urgent letter!

Lord Xun sent an urgent letter, requesting that the Prime Minister open it personally.

Cao Cao was surprised. He opened it and saw that the handwriting was messy, obviously written hastily by Xun Yu.

Something has happened in Luoyang, my lord, return immediately.

Remember, the army must not be allowed to enter the city.

Remember this! Remember this!

The three repeated reminders aroused Cao Cao's suspicions, and he looked at Luoyang with a strange gaze.

(End of this chapter)