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

Chapter 33 What you all say is very true, but what should we do now?
Jizhou, Yecheng.

As night fell, the palace lanterns shone like stars, and the flickering candlelight reflected between the painted beams and carved pillars, its glow uncertain.

"The Emperor fled Chang'an and then east to Luoyang, pursued by Li Jue and Guo Si like a stray dog. He summoned me to protect him and defend the Emperor. Should I obey the imperial edict or not?"

Yuan Shao sat in the highest position, dressed in brocade robes, holding an imperial edict, and smiled as he addressed his ministers.

"Gentlemen, you are all renowned scholars of the land, and you can enlighten me. Please, speak freely."

The civil and military officials stood on either side, some with their heads bowed in thought, others whispering to each other, their expressions varied. Ju Shou stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said:

"When you were just over twenty, you entered the imperial court and your reputation throughout the country was known to all."

When Dong Zhuo deposed and installed the emperor, the ministers dared to be angry but dared not speak out. Only the loyal and righteous Lord Shao spoke out for justice, pointing his sword at the traitor. His awe-inspiring righteousness was admired by the world. Therefore, the whole world called Shao a virtuous man.

On that day, the Duke rode alone to Bohai, rallied the soldiers of a prefecture to serve the king, and was jointly elected as the leader of the alliance by the feudal lords. His orders to the eighteen allied armies were obeyed without question, and his prestige shook Hebei and his fame spread throughout the world.
Now that Duke Ming governs Ji, he leads his army eastward, and Qingzhou can be pacified; he then returns to attack Heishan, and Zhang Yan will be filled with fear; he will intimidate the Rong and Di tribes, and the Xiongnu will all submit; looking back north, Gongsun will perish.

At this opportune moment, we will traverse the north of the great river, unite the lands of four states, gather heroes and talents, and command a million troops.

In the past, the Qin Emperor built upon the legacy of six generations of his predecessors, and now Your Excellency, having enjoyed the prestige of four generations of high-ranking officials, welcomes your imperial carriage to Chang'an, intends to restore the ancestral temples in Luoyang, commands the world, and punishes the disobedient. In this contest, who can rival you?
This is what is meant by: "Welcoming the great emperor and then commanding the world!"

Yuan Shao's eyes were sharp, and he nodded slightly. "What you say is very true. Lord Ju is determined to make progress, and what you say makes sense!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the hall fell silent. Amidst the soft crackling of the candlelight, Shen Pei took a step forward.

"Please forgive me, Your Excellency, what Ju Gong said may be reasonable."

However, the campaign against Gongsun has lasted for several years, and the people are exhausted. The granaries are empty of stored grain, and the treasury is empty of tax revenue. This is a deep concern for the people.

At that time, Chang'an was in great chaos and the people were suffering. If we follow what Ju Gong said: "We will welcome the emperor to Chang'an and restore the ancestral temples in Luoyang", then how will the millions of people in Guanzhong survive from hunger and cold?
Moreover, the emperor is not just one person; he has hundreds of officials and ministers, and his carriage accompanies him. The suffering of hundreds of thousands of people is unbearable. How can they be supported?
Gongsun Zan of Youzhou has not yet been pacified, and Tian Kai of Qingzhou also has a chance to catch his breath. We should take advantage of our victory and defeat them.

At that time, he will defeat Gongsun in the north, destroy Tian Kai, and annex Ji, Qing, You, and Bing provinces. He will control one-third of the thirteen provinces of the Han Dynasty. Which of the contemporary warlords can compare to him?
"If the world changes, then Your Excellency will lead the army of Ji Province towards Hanoi, the troops of Qing Province to Linguandu, the soldiers of Bing Province out of Huguan, and the iron cavalry of You Province south to the Central Plains. With four armies advancing simultaneously, we will sweep across the feudal lords. What then can the Emperor do?"

Yuan Shao looked enlightened and praised him.

“What you say is very true. I will heed your wise and prudent words.”

Not long after, Xu You scoffed at him and bowed to Shao Chang.

“Shen Zhengnan is short-sighted and speaks the words of a common man. Do not believe him, Your Excellency.”

Those who help the world and save the people are called righteous soldiers; those who rely on strength to bully the weak are called arrogant soldiers. Righteous soldiers are invincible, while arrogant soldiers are bound to be defeated.

Shen Pei's statement that "all four routes are deployed simultaneously, relying on strength to dominate the world" is what is meant by "arrogant troops."

Now that the Han dynasty is in decline and has been taken advantage of by Li and Guo, if Your Excellency does not go against the will of Heaven and assist the royal family, would you not be betraying the great cause of the world? That would be unjust!

If we welcome the emperor to the west, move the capital to Ye, hold the emperor hostage to command the feudal lords, and raise righteous troops to punish the disobedient, who can resist us?
Why then abandon the policy of ensuring peace and security, and instead raise an army without a just cause? I am deeply concerned for Your Excellency.

Yuan Shao pondered the matter deeply, and the more he thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed, leaving him with lingering fear.

“What you say is very true. Fortunately, Xu Gong was alert, and I was almost misled by Shen Zhengnan.”

Seeing this, Guo Tu then offered his advice:
"It is common knowledge among those with insight that the Han dynasty is about to collapse. As the saying goes, when Qin lost its deer, the whole world chased after it."

Now the nine provinces are divided and the four seas are separated. The feudal lords each occupy their own prefectures and counties, and they are all preparing for war and planning for great undertakings.

If one welcomes the emperor to one's bedside, with imperial edicts issued daily and decrees made daily, disobeying this order would be seen as disrespecting the emperor and would be akin to Dong Zhuo.

If so, then the four provinces will obey their lord, or perhaps even respect the emperor?

"It's true."

Yuan Shao looked down at his ministers, his face showing difficulty. "You all have valid points. What should I do now?"

The ministers argued endlessly, each holding their own opinion. Yuan Shao, watching this familiar scene unfold almost daily in the hall, was exasperated and slammed his hand on the table. "I have heard that the wise men of the world share similar views. You gentlemen are all outstanding figures of our time, renowned celebrities of our era."

"Now they gather under my command, arguing and quarreling every day, yet they lack a single, foolproof plan. Why is this?"

The candlelight flickered in the hall, and the arguing among the officials abruptly ceased. The flickering candlelight illuminated everyone's faces, making the atmosphere even more solemn.

Seeing that his ministers remained silent, Yuan Shao also felt weary. "I do not blame you gentlemen, but the emperor's escape is not the same as before."

Just then, a message was announced from outside the palace: a letter from Yuan Shu of Huainan had arrived.

Upon hearing this news, Yuan Shao paused, "Since the time I parted ways with Gonglu after the campaign against Dong Zhuo, we haven't been in contact for many years. How could there be a letter from home?"

He took the letter and glanced at it, then his expression changed drastically.

"Mengde, how dare you carry me on your back!"

In his haste, he stood up and stared intently at Feng Ji.

"Yuan Tu, Shu said that Mengde is going to Luoyang to welcome the emperor. You are in charge of intelligence gathering. Is this true?"

Feng Ji immediately summoned intelligence from Yanzhou, and after careful analysis, he indeed found something amiss. He reported back:
“Cao Hong, one of Cao Cao’s subordinates, has been missing for a long time. At this time, if we follow Yuan Shu’s advice, he will surely go to Luoyang to contact the emperor in secret.”

He bowed deeply to Yuan Shao, saying, "This is a fault of oversight, and a mistake on Ji's part."

"Now is not the time to punish you; you should atone for your crimes by performing good deeds."

Yuan Shao personally helped him up, then looked around at the assembled officials and said to him:

"When Mengde started his rebellion, he relied heavily on my financial support and protection. I was mindful of our years of friendship, but I never expected that he would now turn his back on me and secretly welcome the emperor!"
If the throne falls into his hands, I will be at his mercy. What good will your struggle today do?

"Now, Gonglu falsely claims to be acting on an imperial edict, has appointed himself Grand General, and is about to issue a proclamation, calling for an alliance to attack Cao Cao, and demands our cooperation."

As he spoke, he looked at Tian Feng.

"The matter is urgent. What should we do now? Yuan Hao, why don't you speak up?"

Tian Feng stroked his beard and nodded slightly.

"The words of one school of thought should not be taken too seriously."

Your lord may first send an envoy through Yan and Yu provinces to Luoyang to coordinate matters related to welcoming the emperor, in order to test his intentions.

If Cao Cao obstructs, then the lord can also issue a proclamation, claiming it is an imperial edict, and appoint himself as the Chancellor of Han, thus demonstrating that Cao Cao is severing the disloyal intentions of those inside and outside the court, and is acting on behalf of Heaven to punish them, which is perfectly justified.

At Yuan Gonglu's place, they could also feign cooperation, ordering General Wen Chou to advance and garrison Liyang, deploying troops north of the Yellow River, building many boats, repairing weapons, and pretending to be a large army pressing in.

Furthermore, Zhang He and Gao Lan were dispatched to lead elite cavalry to raid the border counties of Yan and Yu. If this were done, Cao Cao would be terrified and anxious, and would be restless day and night. This would also put Yuan Shu at ease.

"We will then secretly cross the Chencang pass, with our lord leading General Yan Liang out of Bingzhou and out of Huguan Pass, to rescue the Emperor and welcome him back. Then the great undertaking will be accomplished, and the world will be at peace!"

"It makes sense!"

Yuan Shao drew his sword, pointing it at Luoyang, and declared, "My mind is made up. All of you, obey my orders!"

When things are going well, one tends to be indecisive and prone to making rash decisions; when facing adversity, one becomes wise and resourceful.

At that moment, the assembled officials stood solemnly, upright as pines, and none dared to argue.

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(End of this chapter)