Brother, stop curling up! You're curling up like the founder of the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 184 Liu Bei's Prestige, Xu Shu Seeks Military Support from Zhang Yan (Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets)
Outside the battlefield.

Gongsun Zan was greatly surprised to see Liu Yu come out in light attire, and shouted, "Liu Yu, quickly fight me!"

Liu Yu bowed and said, "Gongsun Zan, you are now at your wit's end. Why continue to defend Yuyang City? If you surrender, I can guarantee your life and the lives of the soldiers in the city."

Gongsun Zan laughed loudly: "Liu Yu, my conflict with you has nothing to do with others, yet you sent people to Zhuojun to try to kidnap Xuande's mother, causing the death of my cousin."

"You call yourself a gentleman, yet you can't defeat me and resort to plundering the innocent. What right do you have to advise me to surrender?"

Liu Yu's expression changed drastically.

During this period, every time Liu Yu tried to persuade Gongsun Zan to surrender, Gongsun Zan would bring up this matter to argue with Liu Yu, which made Liu Yu both angry and annoyed.

Unfortunately, Liu Yu had no way to refute it.

Although it was all Yuan Shao's doing, Liu Yu was the Grand Marshal. If he shirked responsibility, he would be accused of failing to manage his subordinates properly.

"I can assure you that as long as you surrender, I will absolutely not harm Liu Bei's mother." Liu Yu softened his tone and persuaded, "You suddenly came out of the city today, so you probably don't want to fight me. Why don't you tell me your conditions? I believe that war can be avoided."

Han Fu also had his own plans. He didn't want Qu Yi to gain merit, nor did he want Yuan Shao to gain merit. He just wanted to drag things out and let Liu Yu persuade Gongsun Zan to surrender.

In this way, the credit would belong to Liu Yu.

Liu Yu was originally the Grand Marshal. He was unwilling to declare himself emperor before because he felt that he could not convince the people of the world without military achievements. After he persuaded Gongsun Zan to surrender, Liu Yu could rightfully declare himself emperor.

When it comes to rewarding merit in the future, Han Fu will be the one with the greatest merit, and he will be the great general!

Therefore.

Before Gongsun Zan could speak, Han Fu added, "Gongsun Zan, the abduction of Liu Bei's mother was done by Yuan Shao's men, and has nothing to do with the Grand Marshal. I can assure you that as long as you surrender, the Grand Marshal will absolutely not harm Liu Bei's mother."

Gongsun Zan hesitated.

"Even if Zhang Yan is willing to send troops, it will take at least ten days for Minister Xu to go to Black Mountain. It would be better to keep Liu Yu occupied for now, pretending to consider things for ten days. If Minister Xu does not arrive, I will feign surrender to save Xuande's mother's life."

Then, Gongsun Zan laughed loudly and exclaimed, "Liu Yu, I trust your character, but I don't trust Yuan Shao."

"In ancient times, Shang Yang moved a log to establish trust. I will also give you ten days. During these ten days, I will have the people of the city go out to chop wood and fetch water every day. If you do not resort to tricks or plant spies in the city, I will trust you."

"If you can do that, I will surrender the entire city in ten days. What do you say?"

Liu Yu was overjoyed.

After much persuasion, Gongsun Zan finally relented, and he smiled and said, "Don't even mention ten days, even if it's twenty days, I'll agree to your request."

“Since you are sincere, I cannot be unsincere either. Let’s agree on the fifteenth.” Gongsun Zan took advantage of the situation and changed the tenth day to the fifteenth day.

Liu Yu didn't care whether it was ten days or fifteen days, and laughed, "Then I'll wait for you for fifteen days. During these fifteen days, I will absolutely not send any spies into the city."

"A gentleman's word is as good as his bond, so I'll believe you for now!" Gongsun Zan thought to himself with a sense of relief, and then hurriedly spurred his horse to lead his troops back to the city.

And on the other side.

Zhang Jin also found Qu Yi.

Qu Yi frowned: "Zhang Jin, I'm in a bad mood today. If you don't want to die, get out of here."

Zhang Jin, however, didn't take it to heart and laughed loudly: "General Qu's death is imminent, I understand that he is in a bad mood. Consider my visit today as a farewell to the general."

Qu Yi's expression changed drastically. He took a step forward, drew his sword, and held it to Zhang Jin's neck: "Zhang Jin, are you looking for death?"

Zhang Jin, however, fearlessly moved Qu Yi's sword aside: "It would be a fortunate thing to die alongside General Qu. It's just a pity that General Qu, with such bravery, cannot achieve great deeds because of Han Fu's obstruction. It's truly a shame. Doesn't General Qu want to conquer Yuyang City, destroy Gongsun Zan, and let the world know of General Qu's unparalleled bravery?"

When Zhang Jin hit a nerve, Qu Yi became even more impatient: "Just say what you have to say. What I hate most are people like you who just talk big. If you keep arguing, I'll chop you up."

"Good! Good! Good! Enough with the nonsense!" Zhang Jin smiled and said, "General Yuan also has grievances against Han Fu. If General Qu can help General Yuan get rid of Han Fu, General Yuan is willing to recommend General Qu as Grand General."

Qu Yi sneered: "Zhang Jin, do I look like a fool? I know my own limitations very well. I don't have the ability to be a general. You can't fool me."

Zhang Jin laughed and said, "Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny? For General Yuan, the title of a member of a family that has held high office for four generations is not as useful. Therefore, General Yuan does not want that position at all. He only wants to break through Luoyang and capture the false emperor."

"However, Han Fu thought that Yuan Cheqi wanted to become a general, so he kept blocking him and did not want General Qu to make a contribution."

Qu Yi frowned: "I am now Han Fu's subordinate. If I make a contribution, it is his contribution. Why should you stop me?"

“General Qu is brave, but he doesn’t understand reason.” Zhang Jin found a place to sit down and said, “In the past, we advised the Grand Marshal to declare himself emperor, but the Grand Marshal said that he could not become emperor without merit, so he only wanted to take the position of Grand Marshal himself. Han Fu wanted the Grand Marshal to persuade Gongsun Zan to surrender, so that the Grand Marshal could get the credit alone. In this way, the Grand Marshal could then become emperor, and Han Fu could become the Grand General with the greatest merit.”

"But why is it that Han Fu, who is only good at flattery, can become a general, while General Qu, who is so brave, is suppressed by Han Fu? Has General Qu ever thought about how Han Fu will treat him once he becomes a general?"

"When the birds are all gone, the good bow is put away; when the cunning rabbit is dead, the hunting dog is cooked. General Qu, you must think carefully. But if Han Fu dies, Yuan Chariot and Cavalry only wants to become one of the Three Dukes again, so that the Yuan family can become the Three Dukes for five generations. Then the position of Grand General needs to be filled by a suitable person."

"In the past, He Jin was just a butcher, yet he became a general. General Qu is a skilled warrior, so why can't he become a general? When the Grand Marshal becomes emperor, General Yuan will be in charge of pacifying the people internally, while General Qu will be in charge of fighting rebels externally. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

It must be said that Zhang Jin, the most eloquent among Yuan Shao's men, first persuaded He Jin to summon warriors from all directions to the capital, then persuaded Liu Yu to join him in attacking Liu Bei and Dong Zhuo, and finally persuaded Liu Yu to take the position of Grand Marshal and receive imperial appointments.

It's incredibly easy to describe Qu Yi as someone who harbors resentment towards Han Fu.

In a short while, Zhang Jin stirred up the resentment in Qu Yi's heart.

At this moment, Qu Yi's deputy rushed over and reported, "General, the Grand Marshal and Han Fu went to see Gongsun Zan and agreed that as long as we do not send spies into the city within fifteen days, Gongsun Zan will surrender with his entire army."

"Alas! Han Fu will have to achieve this feat alone!" Zhang Jin stood up, deliberately shaking his head and sighing, "General Qu, your days are numbered, I will not wait with you to die."

"Wait!" Qu Yi's eyes instantly turned fierce: "You just said, 'Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?' I agree with that. If He Jin, a butcher, can be a general, why can't I?" Zhang Jin laughed: "It's good that General Qu understands this principle! However, to kill Han Fu, we need to plan carefully. We must ensure Han Fu dies, but we cannot let him die at General Qu's hands."

Qu Yi sneered: "If I'm not mistaken, you wanted Han Fu dead when I fought Gongsun Zan's White Horse Cavalry. You just didn't expect that I would be able to defeat the White Horse Cavalry."

“General Qu is right,” Zhang Jin said frankly, then added, “As Han Fu’s subordinate, General Qu should have sent spies into the city. Otherwise, if Gongsun Zan really surrenders, General Qu will be out of a job.”

"I don't understand your convoluted ways. Just tell me directly, how do I cooperate?" Qu Yi asked bluntly.

"Excellent!" Zhang Jin leaned closer and whispered, explaining the plan in detail, then added, "As long as General Qu cooperates well, Han Fu and Gongsun Zan will both die!"

Qu Yi listened to Zhang Jin's plan with a cold face and said, "It would be best if Yuan Cheqi kept his word, otherwise it won't just be Han Fu and Gongsun Zan who die."

Zhang Jin cupped his hands and smiled, "General Yuan is a man destined for great things, how could his magnanimity be inferior to Han Fu's? General Qu, rest assured, I will accompany you then. If you believe that General Yuan is untrustworthy, just cut me down with one stroke."

While Yuan Shao was plotting against Han Fu, Xu Shu and his eight companions arrived at Black Mountain without incident.

Although some people were injured, they were all fine thanks to the fish-scale soft armor given to them by Liu Bei.

This made Xu Shu and others even more respectful of Liu Bei, and strengthened their determination to save Liu Bei's mother.

Without the fish-scale armor and wound medicine prepared by Liu Bei, Xu Shu and the others would have been crippled even if they hadn't died.

When Xu Shu first met Zhang Yan, he was worried that he would ruin Liu Bei's important mission, so he concealed his identity.

When Xu Shu met Zhang Yan for the second time, he no longer concealed his identity and directly revealed his identity as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

Upon hearing Xu Shu's identity, Zhang Yan's face instantly darkened: "Xu Shu, this is Black Mountain. I'm a thief, you're an official. Aren't you afraid I'll chop you down with one stroke?"

The fierce soldiers from Black Mountain on both sides drew their swords and surrounded Xu Shu and his eight companions.

Xu Shu was not afraid at all: "Commander Zhang, why bother? If you wanted to kill me, why would you have let me come up the mountain? Since you let me come up the mountain, you must want to hear my reasoning. Why don't you wait until I've finished explaining my reasoning before deciding whether to kill me or not?"

"Ha—you've got guts, making me look cowardly." Zhang Yan waved his hand, signaling the soldiers to retreat, and then said, "Since that's the case, I'll give you a chance to reason with me. If you have a point, I won't kill you; if you don't, I'll kill you and use you as provisions."

Xu Shu cupped his hands in greeting and said, "It's already September, and winter is approaching. I wonder if Commander Zhang has enough provisions to get through the winter?"

“We definitely won’t have enough food for the winter. But that’s okay, there’s grain down the mountain, we can just rob it.” Zhang Yan didn’t hide the fact that they didn’t have enough food, and spoke of robbing grain as if it were the most natural thing in the world and without any scruples.

This is how the Yellow Turbans came to be.

Eat when there's food, rob when there isn't.

“If I’m not mistaken, Commander Zhang probably thinks that most of Liu Yu, Yuan Shao, and Han Fu’s troops have been transferred to fight Gongsun Zan, and the rest are still guarding important cities and passes, so no one can stop the Black Mountain bandits from robbing grain.” Xu Shu also frankly stated his guess, his eyes fixed on Zhang Yan, carefully observing Zhang Yan’s expression.

Zhang Yan laughed heartily: "Minister Xu, you have exceptional insight. Why don't you come to my Black Mountain and become a chieftain? How much salary can a mere minister like you earn? There are so many high-ranking officials and nobles in Luoyang, you, as a minister, have to bow your head to everyone. It's different here. We chieftains are equals."

Xu Shu couldn't help but laugh as well.

I'm here to persuade you, but you're trying to persuade me instead?
Subsequently.

Xu Shu immediately took off his outer clothes, revealing his fish-scale armor.

The same applies to Shi Tao and his seven companions.

Zhang Yan's expression changed drastically. He instantly drew his sword and took out a crossbow for self-defense, staring at Xu Shu with apprehension: "Minister Xu, what is the meaning of this?"

Looking at the eight people in front of her wearing fish-scale soft armor, Zhang Yan felt both envious and wary.

No one in the entire Black Mountain region, including Zhang Yan, possessed a single set of fish-scale armor, while Xu Shu and his eight companions each had one!
"Just now, Commander Zhang said that I am just a minor official." Xu Shu raised his voice slightly: "I need to reintroduce myself."

"I am Xu Shu from Yingchuan, and I was recruited twice by the Imperial Uncle. By order of the Imperial Uncle, eight of us went to Youzhou to deliver the seal of the Governor of Youzhou to Gongsun Zan. For our safety, the Imperial Uncle prepared fine horses, fish-scale armor, crossbows, light bows, light arrows, ring-pommel swords, throwing knives, as well as wound medicine, flying sand, and so on for each of us."

"Although the salary is not much, the royal uncle gives a lot."

Zhang Yan's expression kept changing, and she said defiantly, "So what if we send more? The more we send, the more dangerous our tasks become. If you came to my Black Mountain and became the leader, you wouldn't have to take such risks and could live a carefree life. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

"Hahaha!" Xu Shu laughed loudly, "Commander Zhang is right. The greater the danger, the greater the reward. As long as we accomplish this, we will surely be promoted and ennobled, and our names will resound throughout the world. How can a great man stand between heaven and earth without accomplishing anything?"

"If one can only be a thief, even if one can survive for more than ten years, what is the point? If one becomes a thief, would Commander Zhang dare to have children? If one doesn't even dare to have children, how can one talk about being carefree? How can one talk about being happy?"

Zhang Yan was stung by this, and though she wanted to get angry, she was also wary of Xu Shu and his eight men in armor. Her face darkened further: "Xu Shu, what brings you here to see me today?"

"Borrow troops!" Xu Shu's tone turned solemn: "The mother of the Imperial Uncle is currently trapped in Yuyang City. If Commander Zhang is willing to lend troops to rescue Yuyang City, he will surely be ennobled and appointed as a general in the future. I also know that Commander Zhang has his concerns, but if Commander Zhang had sent someone to Yuzhou to inquire, he would understand that in the world today, only the Imperial Uncle truly treats the Yellow Turbans well."

"When the Imperial Uncle was the Commandant of the Western Garden Army, he was ordered to suppress the Yellow Turbans in Yuzhou. However, the Imperial Uncle persuaded the Yellow Turbans of Gebei to surrender with benevolence and righteousness, and even helped the Yellow Turbans of Gebei to build a city in Gebei. He Yi, He Man and others were also highly valued by the Imperial Uncle and guarded Yuzhou."

"Of course. Commander Zhang can refuse to lend troops! But if Commander Zhang cannot let all eight of us die here, the Imperial Uncle will surely send troops to attack Black Mountain. Commander Zhang often plunders Ji Province, which will surely be hated by Liu Yu, Yuan Shao and Han Fu."

"I wonder if Commander Zhang will still be living a carefree life in Black Mountain by then?"

Zhang Yan stood up in shock: "Xu Shu, how dare you threaten me?"

“You can understand it this way.” Xu Shu’s tone suddenly rose: “I am Xu Shu, a Minister of the Imperial Secretariat under the Imperial Uncle. I am an official, and you are a thief. Do you think I have no right to threaten you?”

"I've laid out the path to high office for you, but if you don't want to walk it, you'll be making an enemy of the Imperial Uncle. Now you can tell me, will you lend me these troops or not?"

Seeing Xu Shu's sudden, mountain-like aura, Shi Tao and his six companions were also startled.

Even borrowing troops was done with such imposing force!

(End of this chapter)