Even emperors have it tough, so don't be too picky about the entries.

Chapter 138 The Emperor's Temptation!

Xiao Yan was slightly taken aback, then recalled.

After several rounds of drinks, it was time to get down to business.

He was also curious as to why the Yellow Turban Army had suddenly come knocking on his door.

And he brought so many soldiers with him.

Xiao Yan gave the lead dancer a wink and then dismissed everyone else.

He closed the door himself.

Chen Shao waved his hand, signaling Aluminum Cloth and Hairui to leave.

Only two people remained inside.

Xiao Yan smiled faintly:

"General, you have come here for more than just drinking and watching dancing. Since it is just the two of us here, please feel free to speak."

"Lord Xiao is indeed a man of few words."

Chen Shaodao:

"I happen to be a straightforward person who doesn't like beating around the bush, so I just say what I mean."

"As Lord Xiao also knows, the main strength of my Yellow Turban Army is in the north."

Xiao Yan nodded. The north was ravaged by war and occupied vast plains where people relied on the weather for their livelihood.

If the weather turns bad or war breaks out, the north will be the first to suffer.

Naturally, it's also the most chaotic.

It is common knowledge that the Yellow Turbans originated in the north and gathered refugees.

"Now our Yellow Turban forces are growing stronger and stronger, and the entire northern land is now covered by Yellow Turbans."

"But Lulong Town is right in our throat, which makes things very difficult for us local gangs, Lord Xiao."

Xiao Yan's heart skipped a beat.

I knew it; good things don't come knocking.

The Yellow Turban Army has become arrogant; they're trying to collect protection money from regional officials.

But he remained composed, his expression unchanged, and said calmly:

"General, you are mistaken. Lulong Town is merely guarding the northern gateway for the imperial court. Apart from fighting against foreign tribes, it never blocks anyone's way."

"If the Yellow Turban brothers wish to pass through, they should simply send someone to inform me. I, Xiao, will not make things difficult. Our two families have always kept to themselves; why ruin our harmony?"

"Well water doesn't interfere with river water? Lord Xiao is a high-ranking official; surely you understand better than this humble Taoist the principle of not allowing others to snore beside one's bed?"

"Oh, so that's what you Yellow Turbans were after."

Xiao Yan's tone was no longer gentle; he gave a cold laugh.

"Is this an insult to Lulong's lack of talent?"

Chen Shao took in his reaction and suddenly burst into laughter.

The aggressive aura on his face vanished instantly.

This person's composure seems to be all an act.

You're already angry at such a short time.

"Lord Xiao, please don't be nervous. It was just a joke."

"I just wanted to see your courage, sir. Now that I see it, Lord Xiao is truly a hero of our time."

"Idiot!" Xiao Yan cursed inwardly.

You peasant, what are you doing, trying to act like a scholar and recite eulogies? Is your lock broken? You don't deserve to be called one!

He shook his head, a hint of helpless reproach in his voice:

"The general is quite the joker."

Chen Shao took out a document from his pocket.

It was handed to him.

He lowered his voice and said:

"Lord Xiao, to be honest, the reason I came here is entirely because of this thing."

"The new ruler of the Great Yan Dynasty, Chen Shao, has secretly contacted our General Ren Gong, preparing to conspire with the Yellow Turbans to seize Lulong. Lord Xiao, you can decide for yourself."

Xiao Yan unfolded the document, his gaze sweeping over the neat lines of official script.

"Good handwriting cannot be achieved without twenty years of diligent practice."

"My Lord Xiao, please don't worry about whether the calligraphy is good or bad."

"It's like casting pearls before swine," Xiao Yan thought with disdain.

This calligraphy already stands out as a unique style; given time, it's a sure thing that it will become a masterpiece.

What do peasants know?

But as he looked at the content that followed, his face visibly turned pale.

The wording of this secret letter was extremely explicit.

Chen Shao, in the name of the emperor, promised the Yellow Turban army that if they sent troops to attack Lulong from both sides.

He also promised 800,000 taels of silver and 1 million dan of grain.

For five years, the town of Lulong was under the control of the Yellow Turbans. During this period, the Yellow Turbans collected their own taxes and maintained their own troops, and the imperial court never interfered.

The calligraphy is from a master's hand, and the seal is genuine.

Xiao Yan was most skilled at this; he could tell the truth from the falsehood at a glance.

He could recite the finest details of the seal by heart, without a doubt its authenticity.

The only strange thing is why no one from the imperial court informed them.

He staggered back a step.

He slid down onto the armchair.

His eyes were full of disbelief.

"Why...why did he attack Lulong? I, Xiao Yan, have been stationed in Yanyun for over ten years, never overstepping my bounds, diligently guarding the northern gate. Why would he want to kill me?"

"Is Lord Xiao truly ignorant, or is he pretending not to understand?"

Chen Shao sneered, "When the Northern Barbarians besieged the city, Chen Shao issued several imperial edicts to come to the aid of the emperor. Lu Long has tens of thousands of troops under his command. If he can circle around to the rear of the Northern Barbarians, the Northern Barbarians will collapse without a fight."

"Lord Xiao hasn't even deployed a single soldier. Given His Majesty's vengeful nature, do you think he'll let you off the hook?"

Sweat rolled down Xiao Yan's forehead.

But he quickly calmed down.

Since the Yellow Turbans have come knocking, it means there is still a lot of room for maneuver in this matter.

Thinking of this, he calmed himself down and nodded:

"Since you've come to me with this letter, General, you must have something else on your mind. Let's be frank and speak openly."

"You were indeed decisive, sir!"

Chen Shao laughed:

"We Yellow Turbans received money from the imperial court, and the amount was not small."

"But we are not the court's dogs. How this matter will develop depends on whether Lord Xiao is sincere enough."

"The amount mentioned in the secret letter, Chen Shao can provide, and so can I, Lu Long. What do you think, General?"

"Then we might as well cooperate with the imperial court. Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. Lulong has no chance of winning against the imperial court."

"double!"

Xiao Yan held up two fingers. "Available immediately!"

"Okay, okay!"

Chen Shao slammed his hand on the table.

"Lord Xiao is indeed generous. If you can truly deliver double the amount, the Yellow Turban Army is willing to present you with a generous gift!"

"Um?"

"My Lord Xiao."

Chen Shao smiled so hard his eyes narrowed.

I never expected there would be this benefit.

Originally, he just wanted to bluff Xiao Yan and force him to cooperate with him.

The Xiao family has been entrenched here for many years; they must be incredibly wealthy. Damn, I haven't written enough about them.

"The imperial army is currently advancing here. Lord Xiao, don't you want to take them down directly, seize the opportunity to enter the capital, and use the emperor to command the other lords?"

"To conquer the entire world with just one town, the Xiao family will probably need to create a separate family genealogy for Lord Xiao!"

"what?"

The term "Great Orator" is a combination of three terms, and their effects are incomparable.

Chen Shao's words were extremely persuasive to Xiao Yan.

They joined forces with the Yellow Turbans to attack the imperial army, seized the opportunity to enter the capital, and command the entire country.

There have been far too many such cases throughout history.

In that instant, under the influence of the entry, Xiao Yan seemed to see himself in the palace with his sword and shoes, sleeping on the dragon bed at night, with the emperor and empress dowager trembling in fear.

As if trapped in a dream, Xiao Yan stood there, laughing foolishly.

for a long time...

Only then did I hear General Xuanji beside me:

Lord Xiao?

"what?"

Xiao Yan seemed to wake from a dream, wiping the drool from the corner of his mouth.

"What did General Xuanji just say?"

"I... I suggest that Lord Xiao consider joining forces to attack the imperial court? I know the imperial court's marching routes very well."

Xiao Yan gave Chen Shao a deep look.

They did not immediately make a statement.

This matter is of great importance, and he needs to discuss it with his family.

After thinking for a moment, he slowly said:

"How long until the imperial army arrives?"

"Three to five days."

"We still have time, so why don't we pay General Xuanji the reward first, and then discuss this matter in detail?"

Chen Shao pretended to be deep in thought.

"Can."

"Lord Xuanji, please go and check the valuables first. I, Xiao, will host a family banquet at my residence tonight to properly entertain you."

Family banquets, regardless of the era, represent different meanings.

This is an olive branch extending from public to private.

It seems the Xiao family is indeed very ambitious.

Chen Shao immediately nodded in agreement.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, the two parted ways.

...

Chen Shao left the yamen and immediately began assigning tasks.

"Mr. Hai, you must immediately leave the city and bring several hundred Yellow Turban soldiers to inspect the valuables."

"After all the valuables are inventoried, secretly transport them to the capital and hand them over to Yu Qi'an. You will personally lead the team!"

"Where did the money come from?"

Hai Rui and Aluminum Cloth were both taken aback.

"There's no time to explain, the task is arduous, I'm leaving it all to you, sir."

Hai Rui didn't ask any more questions and nodded emphatically:

"I will not fail in my mission!"

"Aluminum cloth".

"Your Majesty, no matter how arduous the task, Bu will not even flinch, even if..."

"Stop! You shall immediately lead three thousand elite troops to Shangfang Valley, three hundred li south of here."

"Hang the imperial flag, build many stoves, and create the illusion of a large imperial army stationed there. We must not give ourselves away."

"Your Majesty, you have nothing to worry about!"

People like Aluminum Cloth are a double-edged sword.

When he sees you as his protector, he'll truly work himself to the bone.

She has a really sweet tongue.

But when he feels that a true man cannot remain subservient to others for long... he will not hesitate to betray them, even to the point of stabbing them.

This is the best time to use it.

Chen Shao then took out paper and pen and personally wrote a secret letter, which he handed to Hai Rui.

"Send it to Bai Bingbing, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard in the capital, via express courier."

"I will not fail in my mission."

After handing over the tasks one by one, the two were about to leave.

Chen Shao suddenly grabbed Hai Rui again.

"Wait, sir, write another edict; I need it."

Hai Rui achieved his goal quickly and easily.

[Lord Xiao has long been stationed in Yanyun, serving as a bulwark for the northern frontier. His hard work and great achievements have greatly pleased me.]

However, Minister Xiao was getting old, and the court, out of consideration for the old minister, wanted to select his virtuous son to be the heir apparent in order to appease the people and soldiers of Lulong.

Xiao Jingyao, son of Xiao Gong, is a man of both literary and military talent, resembling his father. I hereby appoint him as Deputy Military Governor of Lulong, to formally inherit the position of Military Governor upon his father's retirement. This is my imperial decree.

歘.

The emperor's seal was affixed.

Of Xiao Yan's three sons, only Xiao Jingyao was born out of wedlock.

Chen Shao's intention was also very clear: to sow discord.

They wanted to use Xiao Jingyao to temporarily maintain stability.

In such societies, the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children is paramount.

A child born out of wedlock is worse than a dog.

How do we define status? There are many examples to support this.

Yuan Shu once commented on Yuan Shao: "He's nothing but a household slave."

Even Cao Cao's many sons, the famous ones...

So... damn, really, so good.

Such illegitimate sons are the least favored.