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

Chapter 280 The aristocratic families take the people of the world for their own use, while I take the wealth of the aristocratic families to give back to the world!
Inside the Sun family's council hall, Zhou Yu, with his feather fan and silk turban, spoke eloquently and with great flair.

"At present, they have seized the initiative in the situation in Huainan, but fortunately we are not without advantages."

Bo Fu has long served in the army, charging into battle and killing enemies, repeatedly achieving meritorious service, something Yuan Yao could not catch up with overnight.

However, Liu Ye had no shame and followed Xing Daorong's example, dragging people into his schemes and using the Heavenly and Earthly Stars to lure them in. No noble family could resist his lure.

They might not be seriously hurt by giving up a little wealth to compete for a place in the Lingyan Pavilion; they would only consider the gains and losses and do so within reasonable limits.

However, with so many powerful families, each family would receive a share from Yuan Yao, the organizer who helped them, and his achievements would be immeasurable, far exceeding the accomplishments of any single individual.

Now, the only option is to gather all the members of our faction, spare no expense, and fight to the death!
I intend to release the privately held household registrations to increase the population, and reward the party with a small amount of money to encourage population growth. How many people can be born in a short period of time?

If we contact the powerful families in Jiangdong within the party and release all the people they have been hiding, we can increase the Han King's population by hundreds of thousands within a few days!
Who could accomplish such an extraordinary feat?

Victory is assured in this battle!

However, as soon as Zhou Yu said this, the expressions of the crowd, who had been somber and indignant about Yuan Yao's last-minute attempt to gain merit, all changed.

People like Cheng Pu, Han Dang, and Huang Gai, who had little family fortune to begin with, naturally offered their full support.

However, the other Jiangdong scions who were sent to invest simply because Yuan Ce had great potential under Yuan Shu and Yuan Shu had said to him, "Your young son is often ill, you should encourage him," all hesitated to speak and looked troubled.

Even Zhu Zhi, a trusted confidant who had followed Sun Ce for many years, subtly avoided looking at Zhou Yu, not daring to meet his gaze.

Even Wu Jing, Sun Ce's maternal uncle, opened his mouth but hesitated to speak.

After all, it was common for powerful families to hoard people in the past. These people did not have to pay taxes, and their lives were entirely in their own hands. They were hardworking and devoted.

While nominally population, it is in reality wealth, the foundation and essence of all families.

If it's about helping Yuan Ce seize the throne, like the powerful families on Yuan Yao's side, it's fine to give up some money to help some people make a living.

Anyway, they occasionally give away porridge and food to gain a good reputation, and now this matter is the general trend.

It was both to help Yuan Ce and to help them gain merit and compete for a higher ranking in the Lingyan Pavilion.

Everyone was happy about this, which is why everyone is gathered here at this moment.

However, Zhou Yu's suggestion just now was shaking their bottom line.

It's fine to contribute money and effort, but we can't take away the people who produce money and productivity. Giving someone a fish doesn't mean selling the fishing rod!

How are we supposed to live together after this?

All the young men from prominent families lowered their heads when they saw him.

Seeing that they didn't respond, Zhou Yu laughed coldly.

"Everyone, stop indulging in pointless fantasies. This is a battle for the crown prince position, a fight for life and death, a gamble that will be won here."

Population? With the abilities of you noble families, if you hand it over today, there will be plenty of opportunities to hide it back in the future.

The struggle for the position of crown prince, the foundation of the nation, is a complete loss once it is decided!

Once Bo Fu is placed below Yuan Yao, once Yuan Yao demonstrates his abilities and regains the favor of the King of Han, once Yuan Ce's banner is no longer there to shield you from the wind and rain.

Do you think Yuan Yao will let you go, or that the powerful families of Yuzhou around him won't take advantage of you?

Don't even think about backing down now and switching sides with Yuan Yao. Do you think the people of Huainan and Runan respect you Jiangdong aristocratic families?!

"Are we not going to fight to the death now, or sit and wait for our demise?"

Zhou Yu drew his sword and uttered a single sentence that resonated deeply.

"The struggle for the crown prince position has always been like this."

"Now my Zhou family will set an example by releasing ten thousand Tibetan slaves. Who will follow us and join us in this great undertaking!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he looked at Wu Jing, but Wu Jing hesitated. Just then, a strong female voice was heard.

"I am willing to represent the Sun family to release three thousand Tibetan slaves."

My Sun family has lost its business in Changsha and has a weak foundation in Huainan. This is all we have, and we have done our utmost.

It was Madam Wu who slowly walked out. She bowed to the crowd and said:
"You have all witnessed my son's deep affection and loyalty. If he is able to inherit the Han King's legacy in the future, he will certainly live up to the kindness shown to him today."

Gentlemen, the future is long; why begrudge immediate gains?

“Sister, your son Ce’er is my own nephew, how could I not help him?”

Wu Jing hurriedly followed, sighing, "The Wu family has also released five thousand people."

The others hurriedly replied, "We dare not accept such courtesy from you, Madam!"; "Why would you go to such lengths, Madam?"; "We have not said we would refuse."

As they spoke, they followed suit one by one. Families of all sizes, numbering in the tens of thousands or even thousands, poured out their strength to help Yuan Ce vie for the position of heir apparent.

Of those present, only Sun Ce seemed out of place among them.

He even felt that the Yuan Ce that everyone was talking about was not himself at all, and that no one had ever asked for his opinion from beginning to end.

Only after Zhou Yu had finished explaining all the important matters to everyone and agreed on the benefits before and after the event did he come forward to take his hand.

Sun Ce watched as he was led to the front of the crowd, watched as he skillfully introduced himself to everyone, and listened as he asked him with a smile:

"Bo Fu, now that the major events have been settled, we should discuss great undertakings with you all!"

The words that Sun Ce remembered as his good brother, now spoken by the leader of Yuan Ce's faction, sounded utterly unfamiliar to him.

He understood Zhou Yu's meaning; it was time for him, Yuan Ce, to speak up. However, he opened his mouth several times but was speechless and choked with emotion.

"Ce'er?"

This is the loving and kind gaze that his mother, Madam Wu, gave him.

"Good nephew?"

This is the expectant look in the eyes of my maternal uncle, Wu Jing.

"Young General?"

This is the look in the eyes of Huang Gai, Cheng Pu, Han Dang, and other former subordinates of their father, who are gratified that they have finally grown to this point.

"Eldest Young Master?"

This reflects the ambition of the court officials who hoped to rise to prominence and see themselves as a rare commodity.

“Bo Fu”.

A voice called out "Bo Fu," and I was met with a pair of eyes that were both familiar and unfamiliar.

He gazed at himself as if he were a close friend from the first time they met in childhood;

He gazed at himself, overjoyed as if they had met again after crossing the river;
He stared intently at himself, and at that moment, the person reflected in his eyes was no longer himself.

Gongjin?

Is Gongjin of today still Gongjin?
Sorcery? Evil magic? Yuan Shu is truly a demon who devours people's hearts!
"Bo Fu?"
Everyone's waiting. Don't forget my promise: I'll gather the loyal and righteous men of Yuan Ying to help you achieve your great cause!

But is today's great undertaking the same as the one agreed upon yesterday?
Yuan Shu was truly a demon.

Gongjin, don't you know his methods?

The position of heir apparent? Yuan Yao deserves it! Someone else deserves it! Only I, Sun Ce, deserve it, and only death will grant me that position!
"Ce'er!"

"Good nephew!"

"Major General!"

"Master!"

“Bo Fu”.

The sounds of discussion and anticipation from the crowd filled the air.

Sun Ce closed his eyes, avoiding everyone's gaze, and spoke through gritted teeth.

"now!

The strategy is to vie for the position of heir apparent!
Gentlemen, please help me!

Everyone cupped their hands in greeting and said:
"We will provide our full support and do our utmost to help!"

"To assist the young master in inheriting the great cause!"

He was like a puppet, manipulated by Zhou Yu, dealing with people and discussing important matters with everyone in a passionate and fervent manner.

Only after everything was finished and everyone had left did he seem to lose all his strength, collapsing onto the desk like a useless piece of trash.

His eyes were filled with melancholy and disappointment as he gazed at Zhou Yu, who was left alone.

"Does Gongjin intend to take my life in order to achieve his great cause?"

He spoke, a bitter laugh escaping his lips, each word deliberate and deliberate. "I will do my utmost to assist you, to the best of my ability!"
Hahaha."

He laughed and laughed until tears streamed down his face.

Zhou Yu sighed softly, stepped forward slowly, and gently patted his back to comfort him.

"Bo Fu, don't worry, everything will be alright, everything will pass."

And no one has ever tried to take your life.

"fart!
If I were the heir apparent, how could the King of Han sit idly by?

"But you can never become the heir apparent."

What came into view were those clear, calm eyes that always seemed to hold everything in their grasp, yet were now filled with sorrow.

Zhou Yu smiled wryly and said this.

"No one can become the heir apparent; this is the strategy of the King of Han to seize power from powerful families and benefit the entire nation."

Every year, Bo Fu, you always seem to fall just short of becoming the heir apparent, neck and neck with Yuan Yao, as if you could defeat him if you tried again next year.

Of course, Yuan Yao thought so too.

Year after year, powerful families gathered the people to serve them, while the King of Han gathered powerful families to give back to the world.

We both have a long life ahead of us.

"what?"

Sun Ce was stunned, finding it hard to believe.

"Is Gongjin lying to me?"

Why would I try to coax you?

Zhou Yu rolled his eyes at him and then recounted the details to him in detail.

"When the King of Han was planning to establish the Lingyan Pavilion, he summoned Yu, Liang, Xu, Gan and others to discuss the important matter."

The Lingyan Pavilion matters you are hearing about now are partly due to my efforts. Tell me, how could I be slower than Yuan Yao in receiving information?

This is the King of Han's plan to conquer the world!

If we only use the Lingyan Pavilion star position to lure them, we might be able to get the noble families to part with some floating wealth, but if we make them suffer heavy losses for it, then it will be a loss that does not outweigh the gains.

But it's different now!

The struggle for the crown prince position, the merit of supporting the emperor, the winner takes all, and it's a fight to the death.

Today, the powerful families of Yuzhou support Yuan Yao, and the powerful families of Jiangdong support Kuang Bofu. All the outstanding talents of these two provinces have fallen into the hands of the King of Han.

Only in this one-way street, where there is no retreat, the winner takes all, and the returns are enough to recoup all their investment, is the struggle for the crown prince a highly profitable venture.

That's what makes these powerful families fight tooth and nail, even to the death!

As for you and me?

He was nothing more than a pawn in the hands of that high and mighty Daoist prince, manipulating the world.

I have heard Zhuge Liang say that the King of Han's chess moves were the most spectacular I have ever seen, and I have heard Pang Tong say that the King of Han's moves were beyond description.

At first I did not understand its meaning, but now that I have seen it, I can see that its chess skills are indeed superb, unlike anything I have ever seen in my life, and beyond words.

Powerful families pursue fame and fortune, taking the wealth of the people for their own use. Countless outstanding individuals emerged during the four hundred years of the Han Dynasty, devoting their entire lives to this pursuit, yet they could not stop.

Now, the King of Han does not control the powerful clans, but drives them with fame and fortune, taking their wealth to feed the people.

This achievement of peace and prosperity under Heaven is a legacy for all ages.

As he spoke, his feather fan drooped, his white robes fell forlorn, and he met Sun Ce's gaze, their eyes reflecting the same helplessness.

"Born to meet the King of Han, one is destined to rule the world."

What can Bo Fu and I do?

"Hahaha"

Sun Ce laughed bitterly, "To be born in the presence of the King of Han is a blessing for all people, but also a tragedy for me."

After the campaign was launched, the powerful families led the smaller families, helping each other to discuss the Lingyan Pavilion. Gradually, the release of Tibetan slaves spread throughout the counties of Jiangdong.

In a short period of time, the vast Jiangdong region saw its population increase by nearly 300,000 under Yuan Shu's rule.

This is certainly not the limit for the Jiangdong aristocratic families, but it is the limit for the sons of aristocratic families who have pledged allegiance to Sun Ce, since in the end it is just an investment.

However, the fact that the population increased by 300,000 in just a few days is already quite alarming.

When the news reached Shouchun Palace, the Daoist Prince, who was sitting on a meditation cushion playing chess with Pang Tong, conceded defeat and said, "Good."

On that day, three people were rewarded with tremendous merit, which were then distributed among the strategists.

It should be understood that such a monumental achievement is hard to come by. Even though the powerful families of Huainan spent half a day distributing porridge and settling people in the fields, they were still only considered to have performed minor or medium-level merits.

When the news reached Yuan Yao, he heard that while Liu Ye was giving him a lesson in his study, he smashed the inkstone on the table, and then the sound of a ruler striking someone could be heard throughout the room.

Yuan Yao's study.

Liu Ye, whose robes were covered in ink splatters, slapped Yuan Yao's hand a few more times until tears welled up in his eyes, before coldly asking him a question.

"Young master, have you calmed down?"

"teacher!

A promising situation has crumbled in an instant. How can Yao'er remain calm?
His grandson, Bofu, was nothing more than a servant of the Yuan family. He was born despicable and used the jade seal left by his deceased father to steal his father's love.

Why does he deserve such favor from his father? And why do even those powerful families in Jiangdong want to help him?

I am clearly the eldest son of the Yuan family. I have clearly brought together a group of powerful families and am pressing down on him with overwhelming force. He should be reduced to dust!

How can Yao accept that my Yuan family's great enterprise has been stolen by an outsider?

I'd rather die than accept this!!!

His eyes were bloodshot, and he stood straight with his hand, which was trembling from being hit by the ruler, his gaze fixed on Liu Ye.

Liu Ye let out a long sigh.

"The Jiangdong aristocratic families don't support Yuan Ce; they just can't stand by and watch the Yuzhou aristocratic families behind you grow stronger."

What is happening here, though called a struggle for the crown prince position, is in reality a struggle between two factions and a power struggle between aristocratic families.

"The affairs of this world, to put it bluntly, are ultimately matters of powerful families."

"Then let them send men too!"
If those powerful families in Jiangdong can add 300,000 people to the Han Kingdom, then we'll add 500,000!
One million!!!

With the Yuan family's current strength, I refuse to believe we can't outcompete him.

However, before he could continue, Liu Ye simply asked a question that left him speechless.

"But young master, is this vast Yuan family yours?"

Yuan Yao remained silent, stunned.

After a long while, he seemed to finally calm down, and reached out his little hand to tug pitifully at Liu Ye's sleeve.

"Teacher, you'll help me, right?"

"The affairs of the Yuan family are all in the hands of the Prince of Han. He is the head of all the noble families in the world, living in luxury and enjoying fine food. How can he allow you to act recklessly and ruin his own family's foundation?"
"Now, only you, young master, can try to persuade those in the Yuan family who are close to you to release some Tibetan slaves. I will then go and persuade the other powerful families in Yu Province. I will do my best."

Yuan Yao was overjoyed upon hearing this and immediately thought of someone.

“Uncle Yin loves me the most. If I ask him for help now, he will surely grant my request.”

"So good."

The master and disciple had already made their plans and each acted accordingly.

The next day, a servant from Shouchun Palace came to report:
"Yuan Yin requests an audience."

With the sound of a bell, the palace gates swung open.

Yuan Yin passed through numerous palace gates, ascended nine steps, and slowly entered the hall.

"Yin greets Your Majesty."

Many years later, in the same Shouchun Palace, with the same two brothers, the word "cousin" can no longer be uttered.

(End of this chapter)