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

Chapter 268 Zhuge Liang: Who exactly is trying to harm me?
Watching his soldiers come and go, yet still unable to do anything about Zhuge Liang who was hiding deep in the mountains, Xing Daorong couldn't help but look at Zhuge Jin with a hint of resentment.

What should we do now?

Several kings surnamed Liu have been invited from Huainan. Preparations are underway for various matters, including establishing the Han state as the capital and convening a council of kings. They are just waiting for the king to return to court.

His Majesty cannot linger in Nanyang for much longer, and we cannot continue to waste our time here with your younger brother.”

As Xing Daorong spoke, he also sighed, "Mr. Ziyu, don't say that I, Old Xing, have ruined our friendship, but if we can't find your brother as soon as possible..."

"Once the Prince of Han returns to Shouchun, I will inevitably have to bring troops to escort him. At that time, I'm afraid you'll be left here alone to search for your brother."

Zhuge Jin remained unfazed upon hearing this, as if he had anticipated it and spoke with confidence.

"General Xing is overthinking it."

Kongming's talent is naturally beyond my reach, and I know I don't have the ability to break his formation.

However, breaking the formation is not solely about understanding its principles and rules.

Seeing the hidden meaning in his words, Xing Daorong's eyes lit up, and he quickly pressed for details.

"Sir, you seem to have a good plan? Since things have come to this, why not speak quickly?"

Zhuge Jin nodded and smiled, "No matter how mysterious Kongming's formation is, it is essentially nothing more than using rocks and vegetation, taking the mountains and rivers as a formation, and confusing the perception of direction."

But human strength has its limits. Even with Zhuge Liang's abilities, the area he could deploy his troops was limited to the small mountain in front of him.

Unfortunately, despite his ability to discern the opportune moment and the advantages of the terrain, Zhuge Liang failed to grasp the general trend of human sentiment.

"Now that the King of Han has gathered great power and the hearts of the people are with him, how can mountains and rivers hinder him?"

As he spoke, he immediately instructed Xing Daorong:
"Although we cannot break through this formation, we have the ability to cut down trees and open mountains!"
All the general needs to do is lead his troops to surround this place, and then bring laborers here to cut down trees and move stones every day.

With the help of tens of thousands of people, a mere small mountain was leveled to the ground in just over ten days.

"By then, even if my disobedient younger brother had the power to change the world, he would be completely lost facing a barren hill."

Actually, the simplest way to deal with this kind of strange formation is to set the mountain on fire.

He may not be good at setting up formations, but breaking them is easy for him. One big fire, and no matter how elaborate your plans are, they'll all be reduced to ashes.

But this isn't some enemy strategist; he's my own brother, and Yuan Gong has his eye on him, so there's no need to be so ruthless.

Moreover, fire is a divine force, and once it starts burning, it is often beyond human control. If it were to injure Kongming, it would be a serious matter.

So Zhuge Jin decided to take the trouble and use the brute force of cutting down the tree. After all, Kongming was always a smart kid, and after cutting it down for two days, he would realize there was no way out and would come out on his own.

Cutting down trees?

When Xing Daorong heard this idea, the corner of his mouth twitched violently. He almost burst out laughing at such a stupid idea.

But then I thought, don't say it, really don't say it!
It works!
Imagine this mountain is completely bare, with no trees left. It's so clear that no matter what kind of formation or magic array it has, how can anyone hide there?
Xing Daorong was about to agree, but then he thought of something and became somewhat worried.

"If we mobilize troops and waste resources just for your brother, it will only harm the people and displease the King of Han."

After all, he had been in Yuan's camp for so many days, so it didn't matter what the Prince of Han was really thinking.

At least on the surface, in order to maintain their reputation of peace and prosperity, they treat the people's livelihood very well.

If we needlessly burden the people and waste resources by conscripting laborers, we fear that we will not only fail to achieve anything, but will also incur blame.

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Jin smiled and said, "How could I not know what the general is worried about?"

But who says that mobilizing laborers requires conscripting laborers?

When Jin was in Shouchun, he often saw workshops employing laborers on a large scale, paying them with copper coins and grain. People flocked to these workshops, eagerly signing up without complaint.

"Now we can also contribute funds to hire local people to clear the mountains and cut down trees. The people will be delighted and follow suit. This will not only not damage the reputation of the King of Han, but will also further demonstrate the peaceful and prosperous state of our Heavenly Emperor."

Xing Daorong suddenly realized, "I see. Since you are willing to pay, sir, this matter is easy."

Unexpectedly, Zhuge Jin raised an eyebrow and looked at him in surprise, "Since the disaster in Xuzhou, the family has fallen into ruin, and we fled from Langya."

Jin is homeless and destitute, and my younger brother lives in a thatched hut. How could my Zhuge family possibly have so much wealth?

"Oh? So, what do you mean, sir?"

Zhuge Jin gave Xing Daorong a look that said, "I still have to rely on you." Xing Daorong's heart skipped a beat, and he felt a chill run down his spine.

No way, is he eyeing my wallet, Lao Xing?
Hiring tens of thousands of people to clear mountains and cut down trees, how much would that cost?

Fortunately, Zhuge Jin smiled and said to him, "General Xing, I have heard that you and General Cai Mao have a very close personal relationship and often address each other as brothers."

We currently have a monumental task at hand, why not lend a helping hand?

Xing Daorong immediately applauded, "That's right! The Cai family is a powerful and wealthy family in Jingzhou. It would be a shame not to help them seize this opportunity to make a contribution."

The two had made up their minds and smiled at each other.

Before long, Xing Daorong learned that Cai Mao was visiting the Pang family in Nanyang, so he rode off to find Cai Mao.

When Cai Mao saw that it was his good brother Xing Daorong who had surrendered, he hurriedly came out to greet him. However, when he heard about the huge financial loss that Xing Daorong was talking about, Cai Mao refused to go.

"Brother Xing, it's not that I, Cai, am unwilling to lend you a hand."

However, I currently have an important mission to fulfill for the King of Han, and I am trying to persuade Pang Tong, the son of the Pang family, to come out of seclusion and assist him. I cannot get away from this matter for the time being.

Although the Pang family is easier to talk to, unlike your difficult job, I didn't have to say much before they agreed to meet the King of Han.

But since they helped me out, I can't just turn around and leave right after I've finished my business, can I?

"Let's not talk about it anymore. We brothers have been separated for several days. Today, let's drink this cup to the brim. I, Xing, will drink it first as a sign of respect."

"Brother Xing, this..."

"Sigh, it seems our feelings for each other have really faded."

"This"

Cai Mao's small arms were no match for Xing Daorong's thick arms, the number one general in Jingzhou, and he was helplessly pulled onto the table.

After a few drinks, the two started boasting to each other. In addition, Xing Daorong lured Cai Mao with promises of great achievements, and Cai Mao finally couldn't resist and was pulled into the group.

The main reason was that Cai Mao, after drinking, discussed the matter and concluded that although hiring people to clear the mountain and cut down trees would be more expensive, the mountain in Nanyang was full of good timber, and in this day and age, who would worry about not being able to sell timber?

Putting everything else aside, he's here assisting Gan Ning in expanding the navy, and he's really worried about finding timber.

Cut it down, build ships on the spot, and since Jingzhou has many waterways, you can sail directly down the river.

It would be time-consuming and laborious for the King of Han to lead his army back. As the saying goes, "sharpening the axe doesn't delay the work of chopping wood," so he could simply take his newly built boat back from Nanyang.

Traveling swiftly along the river, the return journey will undoubtedly be much faster than the outward trip, saving the King of Han time and effort. This demonstrates foresight. By proactively sharing the King of Han's burdens, the credit offered by Zhuge Jin far surpasses any other contribution.

Therefore, Cai Mao and Xing Daorong immediately made the decision!

Zhuge Jin would receive a tremendous merit upon completing the task, which would be worth ten merits if broken down. After discussion, the group decided that Zhuge Jin would receive six, while Xing Daorong and Cai Mao would each receive two. This act of helping each other out could be considered a win-win situation.

Once the matter was settled, Xing Daorong immediately rode back to wait with Zhuge Jin for Cai Mao to hire men to arrive.

Little did they expect that two days later, they would not only be greeted by Cai Mao, but also by Pang Degong, the head of the Pang family, and Huang Chengyan, the head of the Huang family.

The two families chatted and laughed with Cai Mao, and led a large group of tenant farmers and laborers over in a grand procession, numbering no less than 30,000.

If they were to cooperate with Xing Daorong's Fengtian Army, they could probably level the hill in front of them in just over ten days.

How could such a scene not astonish the two of them?
Zhuge Jin often wandered around Jingzhou in the past, and he knew Pang Degong and Huang Chengyan. He immediately stepped forward to greet them.

Xing Daorong then secretly pulled Cai Mao aside and hurriedly asked him the reason.

Cai Mao smiled and replied:

"Although my Cai family has a large business, our roots are not in Nanyang. In today's matter, how can a dragon crossing the river compare to a local snake?"

I then divided my two great merits and six medium merits among the Pang and Huang families.

They didn't contribute to the King of Han's takeover of Jingzhou, and now they're in a state of panic, desperately seeking an opportunity to make a contribution. Seeing that I'm giving them this chance, how could they not be extremely grateful?"

As he spoke, he instructed Xing Daorong, "Brother Xing, I told them that you only gave me one great contribution, which is why the distribution was like this. You can secretly rehearse the story with Mr. Zhuge, but don't expose me."

Xing Daorong: "."

Damn it, if you give someone a hand, you can give them another. Are you just making a profit as a middleman?

Goodness, I was wondering why you seemed a bit off at the dinner table that day, like you'd suddenly thought of something and then relented.

So you were planning to spend no money and just get all the credit we shared, right?
However, as far as Xing Daorong was concerned, it wasn't them who were being tricked. In any case, Cai Mao was able to bring in more people, which solved the problem, so he naturally wouldn't sabotage them.

They immediately patted their chests and guaranteed it, their relationship resembling that of close friends who only drank and cared for each other.

Seeing that Xing Daorong had indeed believed his story and gone to exchange statements with Zhuge Jin, Cai Mao breathed a sigh of relief.

He didn't actually frame Xing Daorong; he simply said that the credit he gave to the Pang and Huang families wasn't based on any special contribution, but rather on their contributions to logging and shipbuilding, and helping the Prince of Han return on his dragon boat.

He also coordinated with the Pang and Huang families, using the excuse that Xing Daorong and the others should not share the credit for logging and shipbuilding, and instead lied that he had taken a share of their credit.

Both sides were afraid of the other taking credit, so they kept their stories straight. Only Cai Mao, who took credit from both sides, relied solely on his words.

He even suspected that he was the genius behind the "give a hand" system devised by the King of Han.

Regardless of the ulterior motives of both sides, with Cai Mao skillfully maneuvering from one player to the next, the grand undertaking of clearing mountains and felling trees proceeded in full swing.

On the other side, in the dense forest and mountains.

The young man, covered in dust and dirt, leaned against a rock and took a bite of a wild fruit, looking utterly dejected.

Where is the carefree and otherworldly spirit of those who used to go into the mountains to gather herbs and drift away like a lone wild goose?

It's been more than half a month!
From that day on, he was peacefully gathering herbs in the mountains. After all, even though he lived in seclusion, he still needed to make a living and earn a living after the collapse of the Zhuge family.

For him, who was adept at observing the seasons, understanding geography, distinguishing yin and yang, comprehending the past and present, and comparing himself to Guan Zhong and Yue Yi.

There is nothing easier than going into the mountains to collect herbs in your spare time, picking a few priceless herbs that can provide enough food for one or two months.

Otherwise, if he were to actually farm, he would have to work from sunrise to sunset every day. Not only would he not be able to dream big, but he would also have no time to read.

But he never expected this!
He had just finished collecting herbs and was about to head back when he suddenly realized that there were soldiers everywhere, covering the mountains and fields as if they were searching for someone.

Zhuge Liang: "."

Well, he's been wandering around in these mountains for so many days, and he's all by himself.
It’s really deceiving!
Who is so evil as to try to harm me?
I'm just a herb-gathering boy!

Fortunately, he discovered it in time and immediately fled to the Eight Trigrams Formation he had tried to set up when he was studying Qimen Dunjia.

Although this formation is still just a learning exercise for him, and many aspects have not been fully developed, it shouldn't be difficult for him, a mere herb-gathering boy, to hide in the vast forests by taking advantage of the terrain.

As he expected, even a simple formation designed for learning and experimentation was beyond the capabilities of the people here to break.

What really troubled him was that this group of people seemed determined and refused to leave.

He's been very worried these past few days because they won't leave and he can't get out either.

"This is a difficult situation. If these people keep dragging things out with me, it's fine for now, but once winter comes, all life will be gone and fruit will be hard to find. What should we do then?"

As he ate the fruit, Zhuge Liang became increasingly distressed. He wasn't without ideas, though.

If we can find an opportunity to knock out one of the armored soldiers who comes in to search, and change into his clothes, we might be able to sneak out.

But the problem is
Zhuge Liang looked at his thin arms and legs and sighed deeply.

Just as he was worrying, he suddenly heard a loud commotion. Not knowing what had happened, he quickly hid himself and went out to check.

Don't look at it, look at it!
Damn it!
Tens of thousands of people are enthusiastically cutting down trees there!
Zhuge Liang: "???"

damned!
Who is trying to harm me?
Gazing at the fallen tree stumps in the distance, Zhuge Liang's small face was flushed with anger as he gritted his teeth.

How can people's hearts be so wicked?
Just to capture me, they didn't hesitate to mobilize tens of thousands of people for forced labor, clearing mountains and cutting down trees!
This wastes manpower and resources; has it really come to this?
Despite his anger, the arrival of so many laborers in the mountains gave him a chance to escape.

The soldiers were all dressed in complete sets, making them difficult to disguise. But in his current disheveled state, he could blend right in with the tens of thousands of laborers and remain undetected.

Knowing that hiding would only lead to certain death under such circumstances of logging and clearing mountains, they had no choice but to fight back.

Fortunately, these tens of thousands of laborers were all temporarily hired, and most of them did not know each other. With Zhuge Liang's abilities, he could easily blend in with them.

After pretending to have been cutting down trees all day, they finally waited for everyone to come down the mountain to rest.

Zhuge Liang mingled among them, his face smeared with dirt and ash, keeping his head down as he followed the main force, trying to slip past the routine checkpoint of the armored soldiers' blockade.

But to his surprise, he heard a cold laugh beside him, which sent chills down his spine.

"Kongming, I've watched you grow up since you were a child."

You might fool others, but can you fool me?

Zhuge Liang: "."

"Brother???"

(End of this chapter)