gnovel Chapter 13 I can also negotiate, I can also revive the Han Dynasty
Chapter 13 I can also negotiate, I can also revive the Han Dynasty
Regarding his own military capabilities, after these past few months, Yuan Yao sadly discovered that he seemed to be only qualified to be a company commander at best.
The good news is that he was quite competent as a company commander; in the Zhong regime, which was rife with insects, he was practically a chicken standing out among a swarm of insects.
Those three hundred Imperial Guards were originally subordinates of Huang Yi, the Left General of the Central Army, but Huang Yi was only at the level of struggling to become a platoon leader and had no prestige in the army. He was quickly replaced by Yuan Yao.
As for what Yuan Yao specifically did, it's actually very simple to explain.
He memorized the names of almost every one of the three hundred people. He also remembered the hometowns, backgrounds, hobbies, and family situations of those who performed exceptionally well.
He ensured that these three hundred people had enough to eat and wear, and did not allow anyone to go hungry or cold. When it was time to pay wages, he personally went out to distribute the money to each person in full.
He also kept his promise. He had said he would share weal and woe, so whenever he had the chance, he would eat and live with the soldiers in the barracks. Although the training looked like physical punishment, he always did it himself before asking others to do it.
With these tactics, Yuan Yao successfully gained the approval of the three hundred imperial guards, thus giving him the confidence to cause trouble within the Zhong clan.
Even if things fail, having this gun, along with the five hundred members of the Lü family army he gained in exchange for his status as a son-in-law, would be enough for him to survive in the chaotic world.
Unfortunately, it was only enough for him to survive, not enough for him to rise to prominence and seize power from the Zhong family.
That was also not enough to defeat Liu Bei's army in front of them.
After several days of forced march, Yuan Yao finally arrived near the front line, less than ten miles south of Shouchun.
Eight days have passed since Chen Ji requested assistance from Wancheng.
Standing on a high point, Yuan Yao shaded his eyes with his hand and looked down, trying to analyze the military situation ahead.
However, facts once again proved that Yuan Yao really had no talent in military affairs. He could only see the vast number of soldiers on the other side and the damage to the walls of Shouchun, but he could not draw any conclusions beyond that.
Looking at Cao Xing, he could make an accurate judgment with just a glance: "Shouchun can hold out for at most one more day!"
Yuan Yao was taken aback: "One day?"
Then he was relieved that he had arrived in time. Otherwise, if Shouchun had fallen, as the legal capital of the Zhong regime (Wancheng was the temporary capital), the loss of this city would have had considerable political significance. Otherwise, given Yuan Shu's selfish nature, how could he have agreed to send troops to support him?
Even if Yuan Yao defeats Liu Bei militarily, he will have already suffered political setbacks, making it difficult for his much-anticipated campaign to boost his prestige to succeed.
Cao Xing did not understand this, but he knew what his responsibility was as Yuan Yao's blade at this moment.
"Young lord, please send troops immediately. Let me personally charge through several waves of enemy forces, both to dampen Liu Bei's morale and to show Shouchun that reinforcements have arrived. This should allow us to hold out for at least three more days!"
"Tingting," Yuan Yao stopped the murderous Cao Xing, "Don't fight."
Cao Xing paused for a moment, then immediately realized: "That's right, in this battle the enemy is strong and we are weak. Sending troops now is just a momentary act of bravado, which will not benefit the overall situation. It would be better to feign weakness for now, lull the enemy into a false sense of security, and then launch a night raid... Young Master is wise, this subordinate will go and prepare for the night raid!"
"No, you've been brainwashed," Yuan Yao said bluntly. "I simply don't want to fight."
Although he didn't understand military affairs, Yuan Yao was at least good at math, and he only needed to do some calculations to know how dire the current situation was.
Liu Bei led Cao Cao's army of 50,000 men—although this number is likely inflated, Cao Xing's estimate is probably close to 20,000.
In contrast, Yuan Yao only had five thousand men, putting him at a significant disadvantage in terms of troop strength, making it almost impossible for him to win on the main battlefield.
Cao Xing is like a mad dog; he can't see any disadvantage and will try to bite the enemy whenever he gets the chance.
But here's the problem: if they don't fight, how will Yuan Yao resolve this crisis?
"Brother-in-law!" Yuan Yao turned around and called Huang Yi over: "There's a small favor I need you to do. Could you help me with it?"
Huang Yi's scalp tingled instantly: "Your Highness, please speak. I will do whatever I can."
Yuan Yao said in a relaxed tone, "Could you please act as my messenger and deliver a message to Liu Bei's army?"
Huang Yi's vision went black, and she almost fainted.
As is well known, Liu Bei was a famous fanatic who was obsessed with restoring the Han Dynasty. In his life, he hated the treacherous officials who disrupted the Han Dynasty.
Coincidentally, Huang Yi is the son-in-law of the thief himself.
Given his status, if he went to Liu Bei's army, how could he possibly come back alive? He would probably be beheaded on the spot and his head would be displayed on a flagpole.
"Brother-in-law, you're overthinking it. I have no intention of letting my sister remain a widow," Yuan Yao said with a smile. "To be precise, you're not just going to deliver a message, you're also being held hostage."
After saying that, Yuan Yao took something out of his body.
It was a silk scroll. Before Yuan Yaolin set off on his campaign, he specifically sought out Yang Hong to ask him to use his connections to act as a mediator between the Yuan and Liu families.
Yes, Yuan Yao was very certain that Yang Hong, that scoundrel, must have some connections with Liu Bei's army and would definitely be able to find someone to talk to.
As expected, faced with the Zhong family's life-or-death crisis, Yang Hong dared not make any more underhanded moves this time. He honestly provided his role, which was that he had a close personal relationship with the wealthy Mi family in Xuzhou and could help relay messages.
However, having Yang Hong's face alone is not enough. The two armies are at war, and Liu Bei has a huge advantage. He may refuse to communicate and be single-mindedly focused on killing Zhong Shi.
That's why Huang Yi was needed as a messenger and hostage to demonstrate Yuan Yao's sincerity and open a channel for dialogue between the two sides.
"Guards!" Yuan Yao waved his hand. "Escort General Huang on his way!"
After watching Huang Yi carry the silk scroll and wave the white flag, crossing the battlefield and entering Liu Bei's army camp, Yuan Yao waited patiently until more than an hour later, when he finally saw movement on the other side.
Cao Xing, a sharpshooter with excellent eyesight, immediately exclaimed, "Young lord, it's an envoy from Liu Bei's army!"
"It's good that you're here." Yuan Yao breathed a sigh of relief.
Soon, he met the envoy sent by Liu Bei.
Whether it was because it was directly related to Yang Hong, or because Liu Bei was a straightforward person who didn't want to take advantage of Yuan Yao, the person he sent happened to be his brother-in-law, Mi Zhu.
Incidentally, those who could follow Liu Bei were indeed extraordinary. When Huang Yi went to deliver the message, he was trembling with fear and almost collapsed to the ground, while Mi Zhu came alone without the slightest fear, displaying elegance and a smile.
Led by a soldier, Mi Zhu gracefully approached Yuan Yao: "Mi Zizhong of the East Sea greets Young Master Yuan."
"Thank you for coming, Mr. Zizhong." Yuan Yao said impatiently, "I have a few words I would like to ask you to convey to Lord Xuande."
Mi Zhu: "Young Master Yuan, please speak freely."
Yuan Yao hesitated for a moment.
What he wanted to say wasn't anything new; it was simply that Cao Cao was the greatest enemy of the Han Dynasty, and he hoped to make peace with Liu Bei and form an alliance to fight against Cao Cao together in the future.
However, the specifics of how to put it are quite nuanced. If Yan Xiang were here, he would certainly be able to analyze it logically and explain why turning hostility into friendship is the best solution for both sides.
Yuan Yao, however, lacked this ability and could only dryly express his intentions:
Yuan Yao was good, Cao Cao was bad.
Fighting is bad, cooperation is good.
Then, he was interrupted by Mi Zhu halfway through his sentence.
"Young Master Yuan!" Mi Zhu slowly shook his head: "If these are all nonsense words, I'm afraid I'm powerless to help. I dare not offend my lord's ears."
Yuan Yao immediately became somewhat angry: "Mr. Zizhong, everyone knows that Cao Cao uses the emperor to command the feudal lords. Why can't you recognize my good intentions?"
"Young master, you jest." Mi Zhu sneered, "Leaving aside Cao Mengde, let's just talk about Huainan. My lord considers your father an enemy and will show no mercy!"
"Young Master Yuan, I see that you have a dignified appearance and the bearing of a hero. If you abandon the darkness and embrace the light, my lord will surely welcome you with open arms."
"Otherwise, hmph, since we are enemies, not friends, Mi Zhu has nothing more to say and will take his leave!"
He was about to storm off.
"Wait a minute," Yuan Yao called out to Mi Zhu, his dissatisfaction growing. "Lu Bu was your enemy before, so why could he form an alliance but I can't?"
Mi Zhu replied solemnly, "We had already reached an agreement with Lü Bu, and he was willing to revive the Han dynasty."
Yuan Yao: "I can negotiate, I can revive the Han dynasty!"