gnovel Chapter 8 Turning Point
Chapter 8 Turning Point
Inside the General of Chariots and Cavalry's mansion in Ye City, bells rang and delicacies were served, and music and singing never ceased.
Yuan Shao sat high in the main seat, his face glowing, accepting toasts from his civil and military officials in turn.
He annihilated Gongsun Zan and gained control of Youzhou, propelling him to the pinnacle of his power.
At this moment, he was full of pride and looked down on the world, as if his grand plan to conquer Hebei and conquer the south to win the world was just around the corner.
Shen Pei, Guo Tu, Feng Ji and other trusted advisors were all smiles, while veteran generals such as Yan Liang and Wen Chou were also drinking heartily, creating a scene of great prosperity and splendor.
"Congratulations, my lord! Congratulations! Gongsun Zan has been beheaded, and Hebei is now at peace! Next, we only need to rest and regroup our troops before heading south to conquer Cao and achieve our goal of becoming a hegemon!"
Guo Tu raised his glass, his voice loud and clear, drawing a chorus of agreement.
Yuan Shao laughed heartily, raised his cup, and drank it all in one gulp, his heroic spirit soaring to the heavens:
"This is all thanks to everyone! We await the day..."
Before the words were finished, a series of hurried, even panicked, footsteps approached from afar, shattering the peaceful atmosphere of the banquet.
A travel-worn messenger, his armor stained with dust, disregarded etiquette and stumbled into the hall, falling to his knees with a thud, his voice hoarse:
"Report! My lord! Something terrible has happened! Urgent report from Youzhou! Due to the execution of their commander, some of General Qu Yi's former subordinates have mutinied and deserted, and some have even looted the villages. The newly pacified Youzhou is in a state of panic!"
The cheers that filled the hall came to an abrupt halt.
Yuan Shao frowned, a shadow falling over his pleasant mood, but he quickly waved his sleeve, showing a hint of impatience:
"A few defeated soldiers, nothing to worry about. Just order the local garrison commander to pacify them. Why make a fuss and spoil my enjoyment!"
At this time, Yuan Shao was full of pride and satisfaction, so naturally he wouldn't pay attention to such a trivial illness.
The entire Youzhou has been captured, so what are Qu Yi's old troops?
However, a second and third messenger arrived in quick succession, bringing news that was more astonishing than the last:
"Report! Zhang Yan, the bandit leader of Black Mountain, upon hearing that our main force had returned, took the opportunity to raid Changshan County, plundering heavily!"
Yuan Shao's smile vanished. Changshan was located in the heart of Ji Province, and Zhang Yan's actions were tantamount to slapping him in the face.
"Report! Remnants of the Yellow Turban Rebellion have re-emerged at the border of Yanzhou, Yuzhou, and Qingzhou prefectures, taking advantage of the spring famine to roam around and attack and plunder county towns!"
Yuan Shao's face darkened; unrest was brewing in various regions.
His plan to go south would inevitably be shelved.
However, Cao Cao is currently engaged in a fierce battle with Yuan Shu. If he does not head south now, should he wait until Cao Cao controls the entire Central Plains?
"Report! Urgent report from Hanoi! Grand Marshal Zhang Yang has suddenly raised troops, showing unusual activity and threatening our Hanoi border!"
"What?!"
Yuan Shao suddenly stood up. Zhang Yang had nominally submitted to Cao Cao, and his unusual actions must have Cao Cao's shadow behind them!
This is no longer a minor ailment, but a serious problem!
Just as he was feeling unsettled and had not yet sorted out his thoughts, the most fatal blow came.
Another messenger practically crawled in, his voice trembling with sobs:
"My lord! Disaster has struck! Lü Bu! Marquis Wen, Lü Bu, has suddenly appeared from the direction of Xuzhou, his army heading straight for Qingzhou! Towns along the way are either surrendering or falling, Qingzhou is in grave danger!"
"Lü Bu?!"
Yuan Shao gasped in shock; the impact of this name far surpassed that of Zhang Yang. Lü Bu's bravery was known throughout the land, yet he dared to take advantage of the chaos at this critical moment!
If Qingzhou is lost, it will not only cripple him, but also directly threaten the heartland of Jizhou!
"puff--!"
A series of bad news completely broke Yuan Shao's already tense nerves.
He felt a sharp pain in his chest and his blood surging.
A sweet, metallic taste shot straight to my throat.
He coughed up a mouthful of blood on the spot, and his body swayed.
Under the horrified gazes of the entire room, he fell straight backward!
"My lord!"
"Father!"
"Send the message to the medical officer quickly!"
Chaos erupted instantly inside the governor's mansion; wine cups were overturned, tables were overturned, and the previous celebration vanished without a trace.
Shen Pei, Guo Tu, and others rushed forward to help, while Yan Liang, Wen Chou, and other military officers looked at each other, at a loss for what to do.
Yuan Shao was rushed to the back room for treatment, and it took him a long time to slowly regain consciousness. His face was sallow and he was barely breathing.
He mustered his strength and, relying on his keen political instincts, said in a hoarse voice:
"Lü Bu... Lü Bu's actions are no accident... He must be in league with Zhang Yang... with Cao Cao... Qingzhou... Qingzhou is in grave danger... It may not be safe..."
As if to confirm his judgment, another urgent military report arrived, its contents even more despairing:
Within Qingzhou, local powerful families who already harbored ambitions, seeing Lü Bu's army pressing in and Yuan Shao unconscious,
They rose up in response, some defending their cities, others defecting outright, and the situation in Qingzhou completely collapsed!
"Heaven has forsaken me..."
Upon hearing this news, Yuan Shao's eyes rolled back, and he fainted completely once again.
Everyone was in a daze because of Yuan Shao's coma.
Who can clean up this mess?
Only Yuan Tan, who had been observing coldly from the sidelines,
On the surface, she appeared extremely worried and concerned about her father.
A few tears even managed to glisten in the corners of his eyes.
But deep down,
His ecstasy was almost overflowing!
An opportunity! A tremendous opportunity!
All his previous schemes and forbearance were just waiting for an opportunity to legitimately leave the prison of Ye City and return to Qingzhou to seize real power.
He originally thought this opportunity would take a long time to arrive, but who would have thought that this moment would come so quickly!
Even if he only had a general understanding of the history of the Three Kingdoms, he could tell that this seemingly impending crisis ultimately did not cause any substantial damage to Yuan Shao.
Qu Yi's murder caused instability in the army, Lü Bu's attack made Qingzhou a hot potato, and his father's coma created a power vacuum...
This is naturally not good news for the vested interest groups in Hebei.
But for Yuan Tan, this was the perfect time to escape Ye City and soar freely like a bird in the sky.
At this moment, the entire mansion was in complete chaos.
No one noticed that Yuan Tan had already made an excuse to leave and returned to his own room.
Inside the sealed room, the lights flickered.
Yuan Tan dismissed his attendants, leaving only his trusted confidant Xin Pi.
He made no further attempt to conceal his true intentions; a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
He quickly informed Xinpi of the bad news from the front and the chaos in the governor's mansion.
"George! The time has come!"
Yuan Tan's voice was somewhat agitated.
"Qingzhou is in chaos, my father is seriously ill, and Yecheng is without a ruler! This is a golden opportunity!"
Upon hearing this, Xinpi showed little surprise; instead, he wore an expression of certainty.
He pondered for a moment, then looked intently at Yuan Tan and began a calm analysis:
"What you say is absolutely right, young master! This is indeed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
"Firstly, Qingzhou is in a precarious situation and needs a strong leader to take charge. Currently, Qingzhou is threatened by Lü Bu from the outside and is plagued by internal strife from powerful local warlords. The army is demoralized and leaderless."
This cannot be stabilized by an ordinary governor; a person of sufficient prestige and status, capable of intimidating all sides, is urgently needed!
"Secondly, after eliminating other candidates, only the young master is feasible."
Xinpi dipped his finger in water and made a few strokes on the table.
"General Yan Liang is required to guard Youzhou, prevent Zhang Yan from making a comeback, and suppress Qu Yi's old troops. He is too busy to be in two places at once."
General Wen Chou must lead his elite cavalry to quell the Yellow Turban uprisings that are spreading throughout the land, stabilize the foundation of Ji Province, and must not act rashly.
Generals like Zhang He and Gao Lan either lacked sufficient experience or... were not trusted by Shen Pei, Guo Tu, and others, making them unsuitable for this important task; as for the likes of Chunyu Qiong, they were mediocre and unfit for important positions.
He raised his head, his gaze fixed intently on Yuan Tan:
"Looking across Hebei, the only one who can rightfully and legitimately go to Qingzhou to clean up the mess is you, young master!"
You are the eldest son of the lord, and you once served as the governor of Qingzhou. You are familiar with the local situation and have the past prestige of suppressing the Yellow Turban Rebellion and defeating Tian Kai!
With your intervention, we can both appease the former Qingzhou troops and, in the name of the eldest son of the Yuan family, deter Lü Bu and other villains!
"Thirdly, this is the perfect opportunity to volunteer. With our lord unconscious, Shen Pei, Guo Tu, and the others are in a state of panic, and no one dares or is willing to take over Qingzhou's doomed situation."
If the young master volunteers, in everyone's eyes, it will not be a power struggle, but rather a willingness to share the nation's burdens and shoulder heavy responsibilities! This is a calculated move, and even if Shen Pei and others have doubts, they will have no way to oppose it!
After listening to Xin Pi's meticulous analysis, Yuan Tan felt enlightened, and his last trace of hesitation vanished.
He took a deep breath. Although he was already 90% certain, he couldn't help but exclaim in admiration upon hearing these ingenious points:
"Very well! We shall follow Zuo Zhi's plan! Once Father has regained some consciousness, I will immediately volunteer to go to Qingzhou!"