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

Chapter 8 Ji Ling! How dare you insult me?
And if a brave man doesn't die, all that matters! But if he dies, will he achieve great fame?
Xu Chu's heart stirred slightly upon hearing this. It almost perfectly expressed his feelings at that moment. He had the skill to tear tigers and leopards apart with his bare hands, and he should have long ago taken up his sword and made great achievements. Who would have thought that he was still living a mediocre life in the countryside as he approached thirty?

Back then, Guan Yu, a mere horse archer, became famous throughout the land simply for following Liu Bei to participate in the alliance of the lords and for killing Hua Xiong while the wine was still warm!
Zhang Fei, a mere foot archer, once fought against Lü Bu at Hulao Pass, proving that no hero in the world could rival him.
Even his former fellow townsmen, such as Xiahou Yuan and Xiahou Dun, followed Cao Cao to achieve great deeds and become famous throughout the world.

It's a pity that Xu Chu, with all his ambitions, could not find a wise ruler!

He had thought that Cao Cao, being both a fellow townsman and a powerful figure, might be a wise ruler. However, before he could even set off, he heard that Cao Cao had lost Yanzhou to Lü Bu, nearly losing his home and becoming homeless.

With the situation now unclear, he naturally dared not risk his family and his life again, but unexpectedly he met Yuan Shu tonight.

Xu Chu remained outwardly calm, avoiding any mention of Yuan Shu's words, and instead politely bowed.

"What brings you here, Lord Yuan?"

As he spoke, his gaze drifted into the distance, clearly noticing the endless stream of troops outside Qiao County, like a fiery dragon. He paused slightly in his speech.

"If it is for the sake of Qiao County, and you wish to persuade our family to help, then please forgive me, Lord Yuan. My Xu family can contribute 500 shi of grain to reward Lord Yuan's army. We really do not want to get involved in the conflict."

"Qiao County?"

Yuan Shu scoffed, "Zhongkang is overthinking it. The troops outside the city are only there to contain Cao Cao's army; they shouldn't come to cause trouble."

I have come here not to conquer cities and seize territories, but only for Zhongkang!
I have heard that Zhongkang once led the local militia to resist the Yellow Turbans in Qiao County. He even used his superhuman strength to pull an ox to intimidate tens of thousands of enemy troops, making them unable to advance. He was like a reincarnation of Fan Kuai, with the courage of ten thousand men!
"If we could obtain Zhongkang, let alone Qiao County, even if Cao Cao offered the entire state of Pei in exchange, it would be impossible."

"You are too kind, Mr. Yuan."

Seeing that Yuan Shu and his party were all alone on two horses, their faces showing obvious signs of exhaustion, clearly having traveled day and night, Xu Chu believed him to some extent.

Xu Chu was delighted that his talent had been recognized by one of the most powerful warlords in the land, but he had also heard about Yuan Shu's character: arrogant, oppressive to the people, ignorant and incompetent, and not a wise ruler.

Xu Zhongkang could only apologize for this high regard and recognition.

"Although I am an unknown person, Lord Yuan did not regard me as lowly and condescended to meet me outside Cao Cao's camp under the cover of night. He was willing to exchange the land of a country for me. I am grateful for this!"

However, this kindness is profound, and I fear that my talent and virtue are insufficient to live up to expectations. I am willing to repay this special favor with two thousand bushels of grain and fodder, sacrificing all my family's wealth.

After speaking, he bowed deeply, offering a long salute, and remained reluctant to rise for a long time.

Yuan Shu seemed to have anticipated this, and instead of being annoyed, he burst into laughter.

"Zhongkang, it's not that you lack talent and virtue, but rather that you've heard many rumors about me, haven't you?"

The laughter stopped abruptly, and the words left a deep impression.

"Little did they know that hearing is deceiving, but seeing is believing."

Xu Chu, raise your head!
Now that you've seen it for yourself, do you think I'm the arrogant, ignorant, and incompetent person the rumors portray me to be?

Xu Chu slightly raised his eyes, his expression momentarily stunned!
Yes! The legendary Yuan Shu was looked down upon even by Liu Bei, Liu Xuande, a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan, at the alliance of the eighteen warlords, who jokingly referred to him as a weaver of mats and a seller of shoes.

Even powerful figures like Cao Cao and heroes like Yuan Shao were, in Yuan Shu's words, the descendants of eunuchs, concubines, and illegitimate sons. Yet Yuan Shu called him Fan Kuai reincarnated, invincible among ten thousand men!
At this moment, Xu Chu was truly flattered. No, it was the legendary Yuan Shu who would never do something so courteous to a scholar.

Looking at the person in front of me, he spoke eloquently, as if he possessed profound knowledge and walked with the stride of a dragon and the gait of a tiger, displaying a heroic and martial appearance. He was indeed not the short-sighted, ambitious but incompetent person described in the rumors.

"Could it be."

Seeing the puzzled look in Xu Chu's eyes, Yuan Shu smiled and nodded.

"What kind of person I, Yuan Gonglu, am is not for me to say, nor for rumors to say; only what you, Xu Zhongkang, have seen with your own eyes counts. As for your claim that I oppressed the people and caused them to suffer, it was indeed because I was confused and misled by a villain in the past."

But in present-day Shouchun, military service has long been suspended, taxes have been reduced, agriculture and warfare are encouraged, and people's livelihoods are prioritized. The people live in peace and contentment, and the military and civilians do not invade each other's territory. The only exception is a death sentence: those who kill civilians will pay with their lives!

"Is what Lord Yuan said true?"

Xu Chu listened with suspicion. Could Yuan Shu really have done such a thing? Or was he just lying and deceiving him?

Yuan Shu did not answer, but instead smiled and sighed:

"For over four hundred years, our dynasty has nurtured scholars, but now the Han Dynasty is in decline, the world is on the verge of collapse, and the state is as precarious as a pile of eggs."

My Yuan family has produced three high-ranking officials for four generations, and the entire family is loyal and righteous. It is our duty to save the people from disaster and rescue them from their predicament!

Are kings, nobles, generals, and ministers born with a special destiny?

And a brave man is content to live or die! But if he dies, he will surely achieve great fame!
Now is the time to make great achievements and establish a career; the opportunity to be ennobled and appointed as a general will be found today.

Riding six dragons, sailing with the wind; traveling the four seas, traversing eight states; uniting the feudal lords nine times, bringing order to the world!

As soon as he finished speaking, he flicked his sleeves, his robes fluttering in the wind, and swiftly departed!

"Zhongkang, mount your horse!"
I wish to appoint you as the Tiger-like General of the Central Army, commanding my personal guards and protecting you closely. If you fail to fulfill this promise today, then draw your sword and kill me!

If you cannot prevail, then draw your sword and kill me!

Looking at that generous, solitary, and unguarded figure, Xu Chu thought to himself, "Good!"

Hearing about someone is not as good as seeing them in person; upon meeting them, you truly are a hero!
What a spirit! What a hero!
The two had only met once. I was still a fellow townsman of Cao Cao and an unknown nobody. Yuan Shu dared to entrust me with the important position of commander of the personal guard and bodyguard. If I really had ulterior motives, wouldn't it be easy for me to assassinate him?
With such trust and respect, what more could one ask for?
Such a heroic figure, I don't know how, was rumored to be such a fraud and charlatan, which almost caused him to miss out on a wise ruler!

"Very well! Let Chu go to Shouchun and see for himself whether everything is as you say. If there is anything untrue, I hope you will not blame Zhongkang for leaving."

As he spoke, he mounted his horse and called for hundreds of his elite warriors to follow him. Together with Yuan Shu, they joined Ji Ling, who had set up an empty camp in broad daylight and then sneaked out with his men under cover of darkness.

Seeing that the so-called siege army consisted of only three thousand light cavalry, Xu Chu was even more surprised, and Yuan Shu explained it to him with a smile.

"If it were truly an army of tens of thousands, not only would their advance be slow, but how could they possibly evade Cao Cao's army and reach Qiao County directly?"
If I had been blocked at the gates, how could I have met Zhongkang today?

Xu Chu then realized how much planning and risk Yuan Shu had taken to prepare for this meeting, and he was deeply moved!

He bowed solemnly, his resounding bow echoing across the ground.

"I can never repay the kindness shown to me, even if I die!"

To fulfill your ambitions, Lord Ming, I am willing to serve you with utmost loyalty!

Yuan Shu helped him up and held his hand tightly.

"We share the same ideals and goals; let us go forth to achieve great deeds and bring peace to this chaotic world!"

Arriving under the stars and returning under the moon, the group headed towards Shouchun, leaving only Xiahou Dun on the city wall of Qiao County, where he mustered troops and waited for the enemy to attack, enduring a long night of hardship.

As dawn broke, he cursed "Damn it!" at the empty enemy camp.
"Ji Ling!"
How dare you insult me!

(End of this chapter)