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

Chapter 339 Marquis of Hanshou
"Fortunately, with Guan Yu in charge, Huanyuan Pass has been able to hold out until now."

"If it weren't for Guan Yu, the gates of Luoyang would likely have been breached by the traitor Yuan Shao. At that time, the ancestral temples would have been reduced to ruins, and the emperor would have suffered. All of this would have been Cao Cao's fault."

As Cao Cao spoke, he hurriedly ordered someone to bring the seal of office that had been prepared in advance, and personally put it on Guan Yu.

"To reward Yun Chang for his merits, I have already petitioned the Emperor to bestow upon him the title of Marquis of Hanshou. I expect the imperial edict will be issued soon."

"I will first have Guan Yu wear the seal and ribbon of the Marquis of Hanshou."

Guan Yu was unwilling to accept it and hurriedly tried to refuse.

How can this be done?

I cannot accept rewards without merit; guarding the pass is merely my duty.

"I, who enjoy the Han people's bounty and receive the Emperor's favor, have failed to quell the rebellion beyond the Great Wall; this is already an act of incompetence. The Prime Minister has not punished me, which is an act of leniency. How dare I claim credit?"

Cao Cao ignored his refusal and personally put the ornament on him, his face turning cold and feigning a stern expression.

"How can one refuse a gift from the Emperor?"

"Is Yun Chang disobeying the imperial decree and defying the emperor's command?"

"This"

When Cao Cao used the imperial edict to suppress Guan Yu, Guan Yu was speechless for a moment.

What imperial edict? Who doesn't know it's your idea, Prime Minister Cao?

However, given the paramount importance of righteousness, and the fact that his elder brother was the most devoted to upholding justice as the Imperial Uncle of the Han Dynasty, Guan Yu could not possibly undermine the Liu family.

But to receive such a reward without having done anything, to be favored by Cao Cao for no reason, and to be given the title of Marquis of Hanshou, Guan Yu felt awkward.

His elder brother and third brother had not yet received any titles, and he had been separated from them for a long time. Yet, he was treated with courtesy by Cao Cao and received his rewards for no reason.

When we meet again, how will my elder brothers view me?
Thinking of this, Guan Yu exerted his strength and forcefully pushed away the seal of office brought by Cao Cao.

"Prime Minister!"
Before the emperor's edict arrived, how could Yu, as a subject, presume to overstep his bounds?

Please take these things back.

Given Guan Yu's martial prowess, he insisted on refusing the offer, leaving Cao Cao with no choice but to sigh in disappointment.

"Cao Cao was also happy for Guan Yu and got excited in a moment."

Very well, since Yun Chang is waiting for the emperor's decree, then let him wait a few more days.

When the imperial decree is issued, Guan Yu must not refuse.

Cao Cao had never shown such disappointment at his failed gift-giving attempt. His eagerness to curry favor with Cao Cao was so obvious that he couldn't hide it at all.

Even if Guan Yu was slow-witted, how could he not understand his meaning?
Guan and his elder brother swore an oath of brotherhood in the Peach Garden, agreeing that Guan's life was his elder brother's life, and his body was his elder brother's body, and he would obey his elder brother's every command without complaint.

How could I possibly bow down for fame and fortune now, betraying the bond of our Peach Garden?

All I can say to this overly enthusiastic Prime Minister Cao is that I have misplaced my trust.

Guan Yu bowed deeply and said, "Prime Minister, I have been ordered by the Emperor and my elder brother to guard Huanyuan Pass. Today is the handover day. The pass is in good condition. Please inspect it, Prime Minister."

Please rest assured, Prime Minister. My elder brother had already instructed me in his previous letter to fully cooperate with you to eliminate the traitorous Yuan clan and restore order to the Han Dynasty.

"But whatever orders I receive, I will obey."

Upon hearing Guan Yu's words, Cao Cao's smile, which had been congratulating him on being granted the title of Marquis of Hanshou, suddenly froze on his face, and the surrounding crowd fell silent, the atmosphere becoming still.

Guan Yu's words were very clear: "The Prime Minister need not put in too much effort, nor should he try to win people's hearts."

Whether it's resisting the Yuan traitors or guarding the pass, I, Guan, will obey orders and be at their beck and call.

But all of this has nothing to do with you, Cao Cao. I am only being driven by you because I am following my elder brother's orders.

When my elder brother writes to me in the future, instructing me to no longer obey, please do not take offense, Prime Minister.

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao pondered for a long time, his gaze toward Guan Yu shifting several times, revealing both hidden murderous intent and undisguised admiration.

This is a truly loyal and righteous person!
The murderous intent arose because a fierce general as loyal and righteous as Guan Yu was determined to follow Liu Bei.

I admire him because he could have feigned flattery, played along, accepted all the rewards and benefits, and completely gained my trust.

Then, at the most crucial moment, he betrayed Liu Bei and stabbed himself in the heart, thus enabling Liu Bei to achieve his great cause.

But Guan Yu did not do that.

When he gave him his first reward, he made it clear that he didn't need to spend any more time and energy on him, and he didn't want to owe him any favors.

Liu Bei. Liu Bei!

Why does Heaven favor Liu Bei?
What gives him the right?!

Cao Cao never imagined that he had gone to great lengths to separate Guan Yu from Liu Bei, intending to take this opportunity to befriend Guan Yu. He even prepared a series of gifts, including gold, silver, beautiful women, high-ranking positions, and generous titles, to win Guan Yu over.

However, at the very beginning of the plan, they had only just met when Guan Yu rejected them so thoroughly.

Thinking of Guan Yu's unwavering loyalty to Liu Bei, he felt heartbroken and devastated. But how could he bear to lose Guan Yu completely?
If our camp were filled with men of unparalleled loyalty and righteousness like Guan Yu, what would we have to fear from Yuan Shu?

How could there have been the previous affairs involving Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Ba, Xiahou Yuan, Yue Jin, Li Dian, Cao Anmin, and so on?

The more Cao Cao thought about it, the more powerless he felt, realizing that he was trapped in an unsolvable quagmire.

He admired Guan Yu's unparalleled loyalty and righteousness, and thus wanted to recruit him into his ranks. But if Guan Yu was so loyal and righteous, why would he betray Liu Bei and join his own forces?

Is there no solution to this problem?
Just as Guan Yu was bowing deeply and refusing to rise, Cao Cao was lost in thought and remained silent, and everyone else was speechless, Yang Xiu, who was not originally present, squeezed into the crowd and stepped out from the crowd.

"Prime Minister, a messenger from Luoyang has arrived with the latest intelligence."

It turned out that he had been away earlier to meet with the envoy from Luoyang. Now, he was holding a large stack of the latest intelligence he had just compiled, and he broke the silence without regard for the atmosphere.

Cao Cao looked up and saw him. His eyes lit up, and without paying attention to anything else, he asked the question first.

"Has the imperial edict conferring the title of Marquis of Hanshou upon Yun Chang been issued?"

"The Prime Minister has urgent military intelligence; we've all been deceived by Yuan Shu. Huh?"

Yang Xiu was interrupted by Cao Cao halfway through his sentence. He tilted his head and glanced at Cao Cao and Guan Yu, sensing the slightly awkward atmosphere, as if he had guessed something.

He blinked, then handed over the imperial edict, which was buried at the very bottom of all the military intelligence reports, and spoke with a smile.

"Indeed, we should first congratulate the Marquis of Hanshou."

Cao Cao accepted the imperial edict and hurriedly helped Guan Yu, who was bowing deeply, to his feet. A smile returned to his eyes.

He seemed not to have grasped the deeper meaning of Guan Yu's previous words, and simply handed over the imperial edict and seal to Guan Yu.

Now that the imperial edict has arrived, Yun Chang can no longer refuse, can he?

Seeing Cao Cao's still obsequious attitude, Guan Yu let out a long sigh.

"Prime Minister, you know me..."

Before he could utter those blunt words of rejection, Cao Cao raised his hand to stop him, his words carrying a profound meaning.

"Yun Chang needs no further words."

Whether it is Benxiang, Xuande, or you, we are all subjects of the Han dynasty, obeying the emperor's commands.

Since we are all subjects in the same palace, we are comrades and colleagues, so why distinguish between you and me?
Just accept it without worry, consider it as the warm wine from Sishui Gate back then.

Today, let us tally the achievements, and await your triumph in battle.

That cup of warm wine at Sishui Pass?
It's such a distant memory, yet why does it still feel so warm?
Scenes from the past flashed through Guan Yu's mind like fleeting shadows.

On that day at Sishui Pass, when he boasted that he would kill Hua Xiong, Yuan Gonglu mocked himself as a mere horse archer, asking what merit he had.

The eighteen warlords laughed at him, but Cao Mengde poured himself a cup of hot wine.

Guan Yu still remembers that scene to this day!
At this moment, Cao Cao brought up the old matter again, and Guan Yu understood his meaning.

Since it is said that one should not accept rewards without merit, then let merit be poured out like warm wine, and let the beheading of the enemy general be the accompaniment.

Furthermore, both Cao Cao and Liu Bei were subjects of the Han Dynasty, and by addressing each other as subjects in the same palace, they made it clear that this was a gift from the Emperor, not a favor from Cao Cao. As the saying goes, one doesn't hit a smiling face; just now, Yang Xiu clearly had urgent military information to report, but Cao Cao ignored it and first obtained the imperial edict conferring the title of Marquis of Hanshou.

Having gone this far and said these things, how could Guan Yu, even if he were ungrateful, refuse?

"Guan Yu, I am ashamed to accept this."

"Prime Minister, please wait a moment. In this campaign against Yuan, Yu will surely take the head of one of Yuan's generals to complete this achievement."

Cao Cao smiled with satisfaction and said "Good."

"How could I not know of Guan Yu's abilities?"

With this mindset, Cao Cao could sit high in this city and await the enemy general's execution!

With this favor now, at least for the moment, Guan Yu is truly willing to go all out in dealing with Yuan Shu so as not to owe him a favor, and will no longer have the attitude of going through the motions to preserve Liu Bei's strength as before.

This was timely news for Cao Cao, whose generals had all deserted to the other side and turned against him, leaving him short of troops and generals.

Having temporarily appeased Guan Yu, Cao Cao was about to inquire about the details of the military situation from Yang Xiu when Yang Xiu gave him a look.

"Prime Minister, this matter is of great importance."

In this day and age, there are many who are in cahoots with Yuan Shikai; I truly fear that our secrets may not be kept confidential.

Cao Cao understood, so he dismissed everyone and went to Huanyuan Pass with Yang Xiu for a secret meeting.

Huanyuan Pass, a dark room.

Cao Cao sat down at his desk, lit a candle for illumination, and said to Yang Xiu:
"There are no outsiders here now. If any military intelligence comes from Luoyang, Dezu, you may speak frankly."

Yang Xiu sat to the lower left, smiling faintly.

"This matter is not urgent."

Looking at the situation just now, it seems that the Prime Minister wanted to recruit Guan Yu but was refused.

Who would have thought that there were people in this world whom even the Prime Minister sought but could not obtain?

Cao Cao's eyes suddenly turned cold, and he was about to make a move when he heard Yang Xiu speak.

"From Xiu's perspective, the Prime Minister must be troubled by Guan Yu's loyalty and righteousness. He wants to recruit Guan Yu because of his loyalty and righteousness, but he cannot get Guan Yu because of his loyalty and righteousness."

He was loyal and righteous in both love and hate!
What can relieve my worries?

With a smile in his eyes, he replied:

"But why is it so difficult!"

Cao Cao: “???”

Cao Cao stopped himself from uttering the rebuke he was about to say, and looked at Yang Xiu with hopeful yet incredulous eyes.

"Is there any good strategy that Dezu can offer me in this seemingly unsolvable predicament?"

"How can there be no solution?"
Guan Yu's loyalty and righteousness were all tied to one person!
If that person is no longer available, why not condescend to become the Prime Minister?

"you mean"

At this moment, the murderous intent hidden in Cao Cao's eyes was more intense than ever before.

"Liu Xuande!"

Yang Xiu chuckled and nodded. "Indeed, if Liu Bei were to die..."

However, before he could finish speaking, Cao Cao frowned and waved his hand, "No, that won't do."

Liu Bei must not die at my hands, and I must not even take the initiative to harm him.

Otherwise, even if the plan succeeds, if Guan Yu discovers it in the future, the consequences will be disastrous.

"The Prime Minister is wise and insightful."

Yang Xiu seemed to have anticipated this, and his smile held a deeper meaning.

"The Prime Minister cannot take action, but Yuan Shu can!"
Yuan Shu was the most cunning and treacherous, and the whole world was terrified of him; everyone knew him.

If Liu Bei were to die at the hands of Yuan Shu, the score could be settled, thus gaining Guan Yu's trust.

At that time, the Prime Minister, under the pretext of avenging Liu Bei, invited Guan Yu to join him in killing Yuan Shu.

Given Guan Yu's loyalty and righteousness, how could he not obey!

Wonderful!

Kill with a borrowed knife!
Using Yuan Gonglu's sword to kill Liu Bei, and then using this grudge to hone one's skills, Guan Yu will become one's own sword to kill Yuan Gonglu and achieve the sharpest goal!

When this thought arose in his mind, Cao Cao could no longer suppress it and asked with delight:
“Dezu’s plan is brilliant, and it is similar to my own.”

How could Yuan Gonglu be at my beck and call to kill Liu Bei?

"Does Dezu have any other plans to teach me?"

"No need for a plan, this is a golden opportunity!"

Yang Xiu bowed respectfully and presented Cao Cao with the latest military intelligence sent from Luoyang, explaining it to him in detail.

"Prime Minister, you are unaware that Yuan Gonglu has once again deceived the people of the world."

The main force of the puppet Han army he led never even came to Huanyuan Pass.

It is said that Lü Bu assassinated Yuan Shu's adopted son during the last raid on the Han army.

Enraged, Yuan Shu has already marched on Xuzhou.

What! ! !
Cao Cao found it hard to believe.

Wasn't it Lu Bu and Yuan Shu who set up the last battle, betraying Xiahou Yuan and causing him to be defeated and surrender to Yuan?

As a result, Lü Bu assassinated Yuan Shu's adopted son, so I misunderstood Lü Bu. He was actually in cahoots with me.

So here's the question: what if Lü Bu was on your side and genuinely betrayed Yuan Shu?

So, who betrayed Xiahou Yuan, who went to help Lü Bu?

If Xiahou Yuan and Lü Bu had joined forces, they could have attacked from both sides. They wouldn't have been able to easily defeat Yuan's army, let alone capture him. They would have been defeated quietly.

There is actually a huge misunderstanding hidden here that Cao Cao was unaware of!

Because Lu Xun and his men had arranged for Lü Bu's attack in advance, in order to lure Xiahou Yuan.

Meanwhile, Yuan Shu had preemptively raised the pretext that Lü Bu had betrayed his adopted son in order to attack Xuzhou.

Therefore, from Cao Cao's perspective when he received the news, his intelligence was airtight and the timeline matched perfectly.

Lü Bu betrayed Yuan Shu's adopted son, Xiahou Yuan was defeated and surrendered, and Yuan Shu then turned his attention to attacking Xuzhou.

The logical chain and timeline are reasonable.

Everything that happened is true. The timelines of Cao Cao's Battle of Huanyuan Pass and Yuan Shu's campaign against Xu are consistent. The only one whose timeline doesn't match anyone else's is Lü Bu.

This led to Cao Cao's utter bewilderment at this moment. His doubts deepened, and he truly couldn't understand what kind of situation it was.

It can make one's allies and subordinates simultaneously claim that they have been betrayed by the other party, accusing the other party of colluding with Yuan Shu to set a trap.

Cao Cao originally thought that the traitor was Lü Bu, and that Xiahou Yuan had only fallen into a trap set by Yuan Shao and Lü Bu. After being defeated and captured, he had no choice but to surrender to Yuan Shao at Xiahou Dun's urging.

But now, with the latest news of Lü Bu assassinating Yuan Shu's adopted son and the main force of Yuan's army attacking Qi, the truth is self-evident.

So, it really was you?
Brilliant!

So the truth about that battle was that you had been plotting against Yuan Shao all along. It turns out that you were working with Xiahou Dun to frame Lü Bu, causing me to lose a powerful ally.

At this moment, with the last glimmer of hope in his heart shattered and the complete confirmation that Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan had surrendered to Yuan, even Cao Cao couldn't help but feel a touch of desolation in his eyes, but it vanished in an instant!
Suddenly, he burst into loud laughter, the laughter and murderous intent filling the sky!

"That's fine then, I don't need to hold back!"

(End of this chapter)