Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1221 A Plan to Repel External Enemies, Pacify the Interior, and Conquer Others

Yuan Shao's gaze swept over the people below the hall, and his tone suddenly rose, carrying a hint of arrogance: "The warlords of the world today, though seemingly numerous, are in reality nothing more than chickens and dogs!"

He counted on his fingers, his tone full of disdain: "Cao Cao was my childhood friend. I know the nature of that eunuch's son best. He used to fawn over me, and although he has some territory now, he will never amount to anything. Lü Bu is a scoundrel, trapped in Xuchang like a stray dog. He has just been defeated at Hulao Pass and has long lost his fighting spirit. Liu Biao of Jingzhou and Liu Zhang of Yizhou are just members of the imperial clan. They occupy a province but can only defend themselves. They can't even help each other. They are nothing but laughable fools. Sun Shao of Jiangdong is still wet behind the ears. Although Zhou Yu is also a hero of his own region, he is ultimately dependent on others and can't get around the old ministers of the Sun family in everything. In this world, the only one I can truly take seriously is Ma Chao!"

At this point, he changed the subject, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes: "But after hearing what you've said today, I'm actually relieved! Since he's indulging in pleasure and neglecting the people's livelihood, he's all bark and no bite! As the saying goes, 'strike while the iron is hot,' since he's being lazy, we should strive forward and eliminate this major threat first!"

Listening to his spirited words, some of the people below the hall showed admiration, while others frowned inwardly. Their lord's underestimation of the heroes of the world was perhaps a bit presumptuous. But Yuan Shao was in high spirits at the moment, and no one dared to spoil his mood, so they could only stand respectfully with their heads bowed.

Seeing this, Yuan Shao became even more smug and turned to Feng Ji and Xu You: "Go on, why did you only return now when he got married at the end of last year?"

A flash of resentment crossed Feng Ji's face as he gritted his teeth and said, "My lord, you are unaware of the truth. Ma Chao is insatiably greedy! Not content with taking Dong Bai as his principal wife, he went on to take Zhang Qiying and Zhang Fubao as concubines. We had planned to leave after the New Year, but he forced us to stay in Chang'an until the end of January, and then pressured Gongsun Zan's daughter, Gongsun Rou, to marry him..."

At this point, he suddenly paused, his eyes flickering, as if he had something difficult to say.

"Why are you hesitating?" Yuan Shao frowned, his tone displeased. "Speak your mind!"

Feng Ji trembled at his shout and forced himself to say, "I...I also took Zhen Yi's daughter, Zhen Mi, as a concubine."

"Snapped!"

Yuan Shao suddenly kicked over the table in front of him, scattering bronze wine vessels and bamboo slips across the floor with a jarring sound. His eyes widened, veins bulging on his forehead, and he roared, "You scoundrel! You've gone too far!"

Feng Ji was so frightened that he knelt down with a thud, trembling. Everyone in the hall also wore solemn expressions, not daring to utter a sound—everyone remembered that Zhen Mi was originally Yuan Xi's fiancée, but Ma Chao had stolen her away. Even the Zhen family had been forcibly relocated as a condition after Yuan Tan and Yan Liang were captured. This incident caused a huge uproar in Hebei and remained a thorn in Yuan Shao's side. Now, Ma Chao had openly taken her as a concubine, which was undoubtedly a public slap in the face to Yuan Shao.

Upon hearing this, Yan Liang's face stiffened abruptly, his grip on the sword hilt tightening until his knuckles turned white. How could he not know about the Zhen family's affair? Back then, he and Yuan Tan had been defeated and captured beneath the walls of Chang'an. Although Chang'an hadn't treated him harshly, as a military general, being defeated and captured was a humiliating experience etched into his very bones. The Zhen family's relocation was a direct consequence of that defeat. Hearing Yuan Shao's roar now, he felt his cheeks burning, shame, anger, and resentment surging within him, yet he could only suppress it, his breathing becoming heavy.

Yuan Shao glanced at Yan Liang's tense profile, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. He naturally remembered why the Zhen family had been relocated; this debt should have been settled with Yuan Tan. He gave Yan Liang a deep look, his eyes filled with regret and dissatisfaction, but ultimately said nothing. Yan Liang was the fiercest general in Hebei; reopening his wounds of capture would only chill the hearts of his soldiers.

Fueled by anger and resentment towards Yuan Tan, Yuan Shao forcibly suppressed his surging emotions, abruptly turned to the crowd, and asked in a deep voice, "I intend to attack Ma Chao. What do you all think?"

Upon hearing this, Feng Ji's heart skipped a beat, and his face instantly stiffened. He had painstakingly laid the groundwork, starting with what he had seen and heard in Chang'an and then moving on to Ma Chao's taking a concubine, gradually steer the conversation towards Zhen Mi. His intention was to remind his lord of the connection between the Zhen family and Yuan Tan, thus allowing him to take his anger out on the eldest son and make amends for his mistake in thwarting Yuan Shang's plan a few days earlier. But unexpectedly, his lord abruptly changed the subject, not mentioning Yuan Tan at all, and focusing solely on the campaign against Ma Chao.

Seeing this, Xu You quickly chimed in, "My lord is wise! Ma Chao has gone too far in bullying Hebei, even daring to forcibly take Zhen Shi as his concubine. This is an irreconcilable enmity! Our army is strong and well-equipped, and we should march west to wipe out Xiliang in one fell swoop and restore Hebei's prestige!"

Yan Liang took a deep breath, suppressing his shame and anger, and stepped forward, clasping his hands in a fist salute. He said, "If my lord wishes to attack the Ma state, I am willing to be the vanguard! I will personally avenge the humiliation suffered in Chang'an!" His voice was firm and resolute, carrying a sense of determination to burn one's bridges.

Wen Chou also volunteered for the battle: "This humble general is also willing to go! Although the Xiliang cavalry is brave, how can we, the men of Hebei, be afraid of them?"

Yuan Shang stood in the shadows below the hall, his expression shifting several times. He watched his father, full of vigor, outlining the campaign against the horsemen, his fingers clenched into fists hidden in his sleeves, repeatedly giving Feng Ji meaningful glances. His lips silently uttered the name "Yuan Tan."

Feng Ji understood immediately, cold sweat instantly beading on his forehead. He knew Yuan Shang's urgency; if they focused all their efforts on attacking Ma Chao now, the matter of Yuan Tan would inevitably be put on hold. Ma Chao and Yuan Shao were both powerful rulers, and their struggle would likely last at least a year and a half, or at most three to five years, without a clear victor. By then, it would be too late to deal with Yuan Tan. They had to bring Yuan Tan down first, otherwise, things could get complicated!

"My lord, you mustn't!" Feng Ji rushed forward, his voice trembling with urgency. "My lord, please forgive me! Although Ma Chao is lustful and indifferent to the people's livelihood, he has been waging war for years, and his army is at its strongest!"

Yuan Shao frowned: "Didn't you just say that he was indulging in pleasure and was all bark and no bite?"

"That is its weakness, but we must guard against its strengths!" Feng Ji quickly explained, "When I was in Chang'an, I personally witnessed his grand military review on the fifth day of the first month. The iron cavalry were arrayed in front of Chang'an City, their armor gleaming in the sun, and their banners covering the sky. Even the leaders of the Qiang and Hu tribes of Xiliang were watching the ceremony and bowing in worship. That military might was by no means an empty boast!"

He glanced at Yuan Shao's expression and continued, "Ma Chao may seem reckless, but he is actually extremely skilled in warfare. Leaving aside his previous invasion of the grasslands, his defeat of Lü Bu at Hulao Pass alone demonstrates his ability. Although Lü Bu is a commoner, his martial prowess is unparalleled, yet he was defeated by Ma Chao. If our army rashly advances westward now, he will surely launch a full-scale counterattack. The thousand-mile front between Hebei and Xiliang is fraught with difficulties in transporting supplies; once we get bogged down in a stalemate..."

"You're just boosting their morale!" Yan Liang roared. "No matter how brave the Xiliang cavalry are, are the men of Hebei made of clay?"

Feng Ji shook his head and said, "General Yan, please calm down. It's not that I'm afraid of fighting, but I feel that the most urgent task is to stabilize our internal situation. The eldest son is holding onto his troops in Liyang and acting arrogantly. If our main force advances westward and he makes a move in the rear, wouldn't we be attacked from both sides?"

These words finally struck a chord with Yuan Shang, who quickly replied, his voice tinged with just the right amount of worry: "Father, what Mr. Fengji said is absolutely right. My elder brother still refuses to return to Ye City; it's hard to guarantee he doesn't harbor ulterior motives. What if he's secretly colluding with Ma Chao..."

"Shut up!" Yuan Shao abruptly interrupted him, a hint of annoyance flashing in his eyes. "Even if Tan'er has made mistakes, he is still my son! Ma Chao is the real threat; how can we let internal affairs delay military operations?"

Despite being reprimanded, Yuan Shang breathed a sigh of relief. Although his father hadn't said it explicitly, he had already taken to heart the words about "internal instability."

Seeing this, Feng Ji pressed on, saying, "My lord is wise. However, 'stabilizing the internal situation' does not necessarily require a large-scale military campaign. It would be better to first send a detachment to garrison the area around Liyang, ostensibly to 'assist in defense,' but in reality to monitor the eldest son's movements. Then, we can send a general to attack Gongsun Zan in Bingzhou. Gongsun Zan is nominally a regional warlord, but in reality, he has become Ma Chao's cannon fodder. We can eliminate him first!"

These words, while not openly targeting Yuan Tan, subtly laid a trap, making it difficult for Yuan Shao to refuse. After a moment's thought, he finally nodded: "As you say, I will order Lü Kuang and Lü Xiang to lead 10,000 troops to garrison the outskirts of Liyang and await further orders."

Yuan Shang and Feng Ji exchanged a glance, both seeing a smile in each other's eyes.

Yuan Shao pointed heavily at the Bingzhou region on the map, a calculating glint in his eyes: "To deal with Ma Chao, taking over Gongsun Zan's old troops in Bingzhou would be a brilliant move. We can send troops from Youzhou to test Ma Chao's reaction—if he rushes to our aid, we'll know the strength of his forces; if he doesn't move, we can seize the opportunity to annex Bingzhou and cripple his left arm."

He glanced down at the people below: "Who is willing to lead the troops on this journey to Youzhou?"

Yan Liang and Wen Chou exchanged a glance, then stepped forward simultaneously, clasped their hands in a fist salute, and declared loudly, "This humble general is willing to go!"

Yuan Shao nodded and smiled, "With the two of you going together, we can easily deal with Gongsun Zan's old troops. However, the army needs a strategist to plan and strategize..."

Before he could finish speaking, Feng Ji interrupted, "My lord, Shen Pei, also known as Shen Zhengnan, is a man of great strategic acumen. He clashed with Gongsun Zan many times during the Battle of Ji and You and knows his tactics and strategies inside and out. If he were to become a military advisor, he would surely be a great help to the two generals." His words seemed like a recommendation, but in reality, he wanted to remove Shen Pei, who had different political views from the central government.

Yuan Shao looked at Shen Pei and saw that although he looked displeased, he did not refute him. So he asked, "Is Zheng Nan willing to go?"

Shen Pei was fully aware of Feng Ji's schemes, but he also knew that Gongsun Zan's former subordinates were indeed an easy nut to crack. He had fought alongside Gongsun Zan for many years and had thoroughly understood the latter's weaknesses. If he could achieve meritorious service, he could also consolidate his position in the army. He then stepped forward with his hands clasped, saying, "Your subordinate is willing to go."

Seeing this, Yan Liang suddenly remembered Yan Xiang's advice the other day and stepped forward, saying, "My lord, Mr. Yan Xiang has been in Hebei for a long time but has never held a real position. He is quite insightful. Why not let him go to the army with us and serve as a staff officer, so that he can serve the country?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao glared at Yan Xiang, a former subordinate of Yuan Shu whom he had never given an important position. At this moment, Yan Xiang quickly stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Since I joined you, my lord, I have not achieved any merit. I am willing to follow you generals on your expedition, even if it is only as a strategist under your command, I am willing to do my best."

Seeing his respectful attitude and remembering Yan Liang's recommendation, Yuan Shao smiled and said, "Very well! In that case, we will do as you say. Yan Liang and Wen Chou will be the commanders, Shen Pei will be the strategist, and Yan Xiang will be the military advisor. We will muster 30,000 troops and soon set out from Youzhou to take Bingzhou!"

"Yes, sir!" the four replied in unison, their voices causing the banners outside the tent to flutter slightly.

Feng Ji stood aside, secretly pleased to see Shen Pei leave the capital, but he was also uneasy when he saw Yan Xiang get a position. Although Yan Xiang was a surrendered official, he was by no means incompetent. Letting him follow Yan Liang and others might get in the way of some things.