The Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Tan, intercepted Guo Jia's...

Chapter 79 The Iron Tree Blooms, Rumors Debunked

The best way to deal with rumors is to come up with an even more absurd one than the previous one.

In this way, no one will believe the original rumor.

This is called "iron tree blooming".

The reason why the news of Yuan Shang taking the Wuwan princess as a concubine spread so quickly was mainly because there were few entertainment options in that era, so such gossipy news could immediately cause a sensation.

Why not create an even more sensational piece of gossip yourself?

With Tingtao Pavilion in hand, who in this era can wage a war of public opinion against me?

Yuan Tan looked at Wu Yu, paused, and continued:

"It is said that in Zhongshan County there was a Han girl from a good family named Yu Niang. She lost both her parents at a young age and was captured by the defeated Wuhuan soldiers during the war. Because of her outstanding appearance, she was adopted by a nobleman of the tribe, but she always longed for her homeland."

Later, she found an opportunity and, after enduring countless hardships, escaped back to Han territory, eventually ending up in Qingzhou. Fortunately, General Yuan Xiansi took pity on her and took her in. Because she was familiar with the customs and conditions of the northern frontier, he hired her as a dancer to help her understand border affairs.

"As for the claim of being the 'Princess of Wuhuan,' it's completely fabricated! It's just that the Third Prince Yuan Shang coveted Yu Niang's beauty, and when he couldn't have her, his love turned to hatred. He also wanted to attack his political enemies, so he fabricated lies to maliciously slander her!"

Wu Yu was stunned. This story... although far from the truth, was intricate and reasonable, and it even smeared Yuan Shang as a despicable villain who framed his brother because of lust!

"Will this... will this work?"

Wu Yu hesitated.

"Why not?"

Yuan Tan sneered.

"Three men can make a tiger, and many mouths can melt metal. You know the news network of 'Tingtao Pavilion' better than I do. Let this story spread first among the scholars and merchants of Youzhou and Bingzhou, and then quietly flow into Hebei."

The story must be authentic, and the details vivid, especially the details of your "longing for home and your escape back to your homeland"—they must be deeply moving. As for Yuan Shang's part, leave it at that, let others interpret it for themselves.

He gently wiped away the tears on Wu Yu's face:

"I'll let this story circulate quietly throughout the streets and alleys, taverns and teahouses of Ye City. Let everyone believe that Yuan Shang turned on you because his advances were rejected. Let's see how he'll have the nerve to bring up your identity again!"

……

Several days later, in Ye City.

At first, it was just a few scattered rumors, whispered among the people.

"Have you heard? That girl Wuyu from Qingzhou isn't a princess at all; she's a daughter of our Han people, poor thing..."

"Yes, they say she was kidnapped to the borderlands as a child and barely escaped!"

"Tsk tsk, no wonder the former general took her in; that's true kindness!"

"Hey, I heard that our Third Young Master took a fancy to her, but the girl refused, so he..."

Rumors quickly spread throughout Ye City.

Because of its captivating and intriguing story, which resonates with people's fondness for "beautiful women with tragic fates" and "heroes saving damsels in distress," and is further intertwined with sensual speculations about feuds within wealthy families, it has far greater appeal than the dry accusation of "colluding with the Wuhuan."

Soon, Yuan Shang also heard the news and smashed his teacup in anger!

He originally intended to use the "Princess Wuhuan" incident to morally suppress Yuan Tan.

Unexpectedly, Yuan Tan retaliated with such underhanded tactics.

Instead, they portrayed him as a shameless scoundrel who was blinded by lust and framed his brother!

Guo Tu stood to the side, his face grim.

"My lord, Yuan Tan's plan is ruthless! Rumors have already spread, and if we insist on refuting them, we will only make things worse. Now everyone is treating this as a joke, so we... should not get entangled in this matter any longer."

……

Ye City, General's Mansion, Council Hall.

In recent days, rumors about "the Third Young Master Yuan Shang coveting his elder brother's dancing girl, turning love into hatred, and spreading rumors" have been spreading more and more rampant in the streets and alleys of Ye City. There are endless versions, with erotic and vivid details, which have become the laughing stock of scholars and common people.

The news inevitably reached the General's Mansion.

Yuan Shao sat upright in the main seat, his face ashen, clutching several copies of street gossip transcribed by his spies, his chest heaving violently.

He was extremely concerned with his reputation, boasting that the Yuan family had "four generations of high-ranking officials, and a family with an upright and honest tradition."

Now his own son has become the protagonist of such vile rumors, and the finger is pointed directly at his Yuan family for being "morally deficient."

This is even more humiliating than slapping him in the face!

"You unfilial son! This unfilial son!"

Yuan Shao slammed the bamboo slips to the ground, enraged.

"Someone! Go and fetch that good-for-nothing!"

A moment later, Yuan Shang nervously entered the hall. Before he could even bow, a scroll of bamboo slips flew towards him and landed at his feet.

"Look what you've done!"

Yuan Shao's beard and hair stood on end as he pointed at Yuan Shang's nose and berated him fiercely.

"I appointed you to assist in government affairs, and what have you done?! You've instead devoted your energy to such despicable things as jealousy and framing your brother! Now the whole city is in an uproar, and everyone knows about it! You've completely disgraced me, Yuan Benchu! Tell me! Was it you who orchestrated the Wu Yu affair behind the scenes?!"

Yuan Shang was so frightened that he knelt down with a thud, his face deathly pale. He hated Yuan Tan to the core, but hurriedly tried to explain himself:

"Father, please calm your anger! Father, please understand! This matter... this matter is absolutely not my doing! It was all... all my elder brother's... his scheme, and even the rumors spread to frame me, Father!"

He spoke incoherently and offered no crucial evidence.

"Framed?"

Yuan Shao sneered in anger.

"There's no smoke without fire! If you acted uprightly, why would anyone fabricate such a shameful story out of thin air? Do you think everyone in the world is blind or stupid?! I think you're just up to no good; you're resentful of your brother's achievements, which is why you've resorted to such despicable acts!"

Yuan Shang lay prostrate on the ground, not daring to raise his head. He was both shocked and furious, but he was unable to defend himself.

Whether the rumors were true or false was no longer important; what mattered was that my father believed them and was extremely angry.

Below the hall, Guo Tu, Feng Ji, and other advisors who supported Yuan Shang looked at each other, not daring to speak easily.

Tian Feng and Ju Shou exchanged a glance, knowing that the time was right.

Tian Feng, a man of upright character, stepped forward first and said in a deep voice:

"My lord, please calm your anger. The Third Young Master is young and may have made a mistake at one time, but investigating this matter further will only make him a laughingstock and damage the General's reputation. The most urgent task is to quell public opinion and restore his honor."

Ju Shou then spoke, his tone calm and experienced:

"Yuan Hao (Tian Feng) is absolutely right. The rumors all stemmed from Wu Yu's identity. Now that it has been clarified that Wu Yu is a Han Chinese woman, and the eldest son has made it clear that he has not taken any concubines, but only dancers, this matter should end here. If we investigate further, it will only give others ammunition to criticize us."

He then shifted the focus back to the core issue:

"At this juncture, stabilizing Qingzhou and demonstrating the lord's fairness is the best course of action. The marriage between the eldest son and the Zhen family of Zhongshan was personally approved by the lord and is a significant measure to strengthen ties with the Hebei gentry and stabilize the rear."

If we were to abruptly cancel the plan based on some unfounded rumors, wouldn't that be self-destructive, further alienating the Zhen family and even the gentry of Hebei? Moreover, it might cause resentment in the eldest son, which would be detrimental to the overall situation.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao's anger subsided slightly, and he remained silent in thought.

Although he resented Yuan Shang's incompetence, he cared more about his own authority and the stability of Hebei.

Ju Shou's words enlightened him; punishing Yuan Shang at this point would not help, but might even exacerbate the conflict.

Canceling Yuan Tan's marriage would be a greater loss than gain.

Seeing this, Xin Ping also took the opportunity to offer advice:

"My lord, what you say makes sense. The marriage of Lady Zhen is of great importance and should not be changed. A decree should be issued immediately to proceed as planned, so as to reassure the gentry of Qingzhou and Hebei. As for the third young master... he is young and ignorant, so a few days of confinement to reflect on his mistakes will suffice as a form of punishment."

As Xin Pi's cousin, he intentionally aligned himself with Yuan Tan after Xin Pi joined Yuan Tan's forces, and is now an advisor in Yuan Tan's staff.

Yuan Shao took a deep breath, trying to calm his anger.

He glanced at Yuan Shang, who was kneeling on the ground trembling, and then thought of Yuan Tan, who was far away in Qingzhou and whose power was growing day by day. He weighed the pros and cons in his mind.

Ultimately, he made a decision.

"snort!"

He snorted coldly and rebuked Yuan Shang:

"You good-for-nothing! Get back to your residence and reflect on your actions for a month! You are not to leave the residence without my order! If you dare to cause trouble again, I will not let you off lightly!"

"Thank you, Father! Thank you, Father!"

Yuan Shang felt as if he had been granted a pardon and scrambled out of the room.

Yuan Shao then turned to the crowd and announced:

"Tian Yuanhao and Ju Gongyu are quite right. Tan'er's marriage is a settled national policy, how can it be abandoned because of rumors? Issue my order: the marriage agreement between Qingzhou Governor Yuan Tan and Lady Zhen shall remain unchanged!"

"I hereby order the officials to select an auspicious day and prepare for the wedding ceremony. It must be a grand and magnificent affair to demonstrate the favor bestowed upon the Yuan family and to reassure the hearts of the people!"

"Our lord is wise!"

The crowd below responded in unison.