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

Chapter 53 Using Yuan to Control Yuan

Outside Shouchun City, in the central command tent of Cao Cao's army camp.

The tent was brightly lit by candlelight, but the light illuminated Cao Cao's gloomy face.

Shouchun was a fortified city with high walls and deep moats. Although Yuan Shu had lost his way by declaring himself emperor and was trapped in the isolated city, his resistance remained stubborn. The war had reached a stalemate, and supplies were being consumed at an alarming rate. Cao Cao was deeply troubled by this.

Xun Yu entered, looking travel-worn. Without exchanging pleasantries, he recounted everything he had seen and heard in Xiaopei, especially the detailed account of Liu Bei's army's defeat at the hands of Yuan Tan.

"Liu Bei said that Yuan Tan's cavalry not only had fine and spirited horses, but also had strange training methods that could make their warhorses lie down on command and disappear without a trace. When used for ambushes, it was almost like sorcery. Zhang Fei was brave and almost captured alive. Although he was later rescued by Liu Bei, his army suffered heavy losses and morale was low."

Xun Yu spoke calmly, but his words were clear.

"Snapped!"

Cao Cao unconsciously snapped the vermilion brush he was holding in his hand!

He looked up abruptly, his eyes filled with horror:

"Yuan Xiansi? Yuan Benchu's eldest son? That brave and violent scoundrel? How could this happen?!"

He abruptly stood up and paced rapidly in front of the desk, clearly shocked.

"Guan Yu and Zhang Fei are both warriors capable of defeating ten thousand men! How could they suffer such a great loss at the hands of that brat Yuan Tan? Has his army's fighting strength really fallen to such a level?"

This news sent a chill down his spine even more than the prolonged siege of Shouchun.

Yuan Tan held sway over Qingzhou. If his soldiers possessed such fighting prowess, it would truly send chills down one's spine.

Xun Yu stood quietly to the side, waiting for Cao Cao to begin to process his shock before slowly speaking:

"Your concerns are very valid. Yuan Tan holds Qingzhou and now displays such prowess; his ambitions are not small. If we allow him to grow stronger, he may echo Yuan Shao in Hebei, or even march south to contend for power, which will surely become a major threat to our cause."

Cao Cao stopped and looked sharply at Xun Yu:

"Since Wenruo has already seen through the perilous situation, he must have something to teach me. Shouchun has not yet fallen, and our main force is trapped here. What should we do?"

He posed a difficult question, which was both an inquiry and a test.

Xun Yu smiled slightly, confident and assured:

"My lord, have you not heard of 'driving a tiger to devour a wolf'? This can also be called 'using Yuan to control Yuan'."

"Oh? Tell me more!"

Cao Cao's eyes lit up.

"Yuan Shao has always cherished empty fame and especially valued his family's reputation. Now, Your Excellency is 'serving the Emperor to command the disobedient,' why not request a decree to be issued?"

Xun Yu spoke calmly, yet every word he uttered was laced with wit and sharpness.

"In the imperial edict, Yuan Shu was first denounced for his treason, and then it was said that Shouchun had been besieged for a long time without being captured, and the people were suffering. Yuan Shao was specially appointed as Grand General and given overall command of the military affairs of the four provinces of Ji, Qing, You and Bing. He was ordered to quickly send his elite troops south to join the attack on Shouchun, so as to demonstrate the majesty of the court and preserve his reputation as a loyal minister."

Cao Cao, being an exceptionally intelligent man, instantly grasped the key point and clapped his hands, replying:

"Excellent! Yuan Shao will find it hard to refuse such a prestigious title. However, his focus is in the north, he is wary of Zhang Yan and Liu Biao, so how could he really send the elite troops from Hebei south? At that time, who should lead the army?"

"Your Excellency is wise and sagacious."

Xun Yu nodded. "Under Yuan Shao's command, his eldest son Yuan Tan is in Qingzhou, which is very close; while in Ye City, Guo Tu, Feng Ji, and others have always been on good terms with the third son Yuan Shang and are at odds with Yuan Tan..."

Once this edict reaches Ye City, Yuan Shang's faction, in order to limit Yuan Tan's growing power in Qingzhou, will undoubtedly urge Yuan Shao to order the Qingzhou troops to march south! This would both weaken Yuan Tan's strength, preventing him from managing Qingzhou, and exacerbate the infighting between his brothers. It's a two-birds-with-one-stone strategy.

"Haha! Good! What a brilliant strategy of using one tiger to devour another, what a brilliant strategy of using Yuan to control Yuan!"

Cao Cao burst into laughter, all the pent-up frustration of the past few days vanishing instantly.

"Yuan Shao appears lenient on the outside but is actually suspicious and loves face. This imperial edict is like a chicken rib to him—tasteless to eat, but a pity to throw away! Yuan Shang, that brat, is jealous of his brother; he's perfect for my use! Let the Yuan brothers fight each other to the death!"

He made a decision immediately and shouted:

"Guards! Summon Man Chong immediately!"

A moment later, Man Chong entered the tent.

Cao Cao spoke extremely quickly, and his commands were clear:

"Bo Ning, take this order immediately and return to Xuchang overnight! Order the court to draft an edict immediately, appointing Yuan Shao as Grand General, overseeing the military affairs of four provinces, and severely reprimanding him, ordering him to send troops south immediately to jointly attack Shouchun! The wording should give Yuan Shao enough face, but urging him is crucial; do not allow him to feign compliance!"

"promise!"

Man Chong accepted the order without hesitation and immediately went to make arrangements.

Silence returned to the tent. Cao Cao walked to the map, pointed heavily at Qingzhou, and sneered:

"Yuan Xiansi, I'd like to see how this fledgling tiger, just beginning to show its claws, handles the open and covert attacks under this imperial edict!"

He turned to look at Xun Yu, his gaze deep and unfathomable:

"Wenruo, this plan is brilliant! Once Shouchun falls and Yuan Shu is beheaded, I... want to see what a spectacular show this struggle between the two Yuans will be!"

Xun Yu bowed respectfully and said calmly:

"This is due to Your Excellency's great fortune, the will of Heaven. I am merely going with the flow."

……

Ye City, the council hall of the General's Mansion.

Yuan Shao held the silk-written battle report from Qingzhou and read it three times, his expression becoming quite strange.

"Xian Si, with a thousand newly recruited soldiers, defeated Liu Bei's army with a brilliant strategy and nearly captured Zhang Fei alive..."

Yuan Shao slowly put down the silk book, his gaze sweeping over the assembled civil and military officials below the hall. His voice betrayed no emotion.

"Gentlemen, what do you think of Xiansi's actions in Qingzhou?"

A hush fell over the hall. This achievement was too astonishing, far exceeding everyone's expectations.

"Absurd!" A sharp question broke the silence.

Feng Ji stepped forward, his face filled with disbelief and resentment.

"My lord, you are wise! The eldest son's army numbers only a few thousand, his general is Zhang He, and although he has strategists like Guo Jia and Xin Pi, they are all newly recruited. How could they possibly have accomplished such a great feat? Liu Bei is a ruthless and ambitious man, and Zhang Fei is a match for ten thousand men. They are not easily defeated. There must be some exaggeration involved, or perhaps... luck!"

When Yuan Tan was in Ye City, he was nothing more than a playboy who spent his days indulging in pleasure and debauchery.

As for figures like Zhang He, Guo Jia, and Xin Pi, they were unheard of.

In terms of methods, they are certainly not as capable as the high-ranking officials sitting here.

How could these people, working together, possibly have accomplished such a major feat in Qingzhou?

And the opponent is a top-tier expert in the world.

He was a figure who could scare away an army of thousands at Hulao Pass back then.

This is really puzzling.

With Shen Pei dead and Guo Tu remaining silent, Feng Ji has become the vanguard of questioning.

His words expressed the sentiments of many people in the hall, especially those from Yuan Shang's faction.

Yuan Shang stood below Yuan Shao, his face calm, but in his heart he had cursed Yuan Tan more than a hundred times.

So you, Yuan Tan, are just a conspicuous bag, huh?

Why do you have to send out a battle report for every little achievement?

Doesn't this make me look incompetent?

He stepped forward at the opportune moment, his tone quite earnest:

"Father, it's not that I don't trust my elder brother. It's just that this matter is too bizarre. Perhaps my elder brother does have a brilliant plan, but the details may be exaggerated. For example, Zhang Fei, if he was able to capture him alive, why did he release him back into the mountains? The intricacies are perplexing. We need to investigate further to avoid being misled by villains and damaging the reputation of Hebei."

His words were nothing new.

If Yuan Tan were here, he would surely criticize him for his poor writing.

But Yuan Shao was exactly susceptible to this approach.

It doesn't matter if your subordinates are incompetent, but they must be loyal.

You, Yuan Tan, were able to capture Zhang Fei alive, so why did you turn around and release him?

Did they reach some kind of agreement with Liu Bei?

"My lord,"

A steady voice rang out; it was Ju Shou.

He stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and appeared solemn.

"I believe that while the eldest son's achievements may be astonishing, a closer examination reveals that they are not without precedent. The burning of the grain supplies was a surprise attack, the retreat of Lü Bu utilized favorable weather and terrain, the capture of Zang Ba was a psychological warfare tactic, and this defeat of Zhang Fei was an ambush. Each step was carefully planned, though risky, it was all ingenious, perfectly embodying the military principle of 'using the orthodox to engage, and the unorthodox to win.' As for Zhang Fei…"

He paused briefly,

"The capture and release may have been due to the pressure of Liu Bei's military might, or there may have been other considerations. The fact that the eldest son was able to open up the situation in Qingzhou from a desperate situation shows that his ability to train troops, use strategies, and appoint people is probably incomparable to what it used to be. This is not a fluke, but the result of the eldest son's hidden talents meeting the right opportunity."

Tian Feng also said in a muffled voice:

"What you said is true. The accounts for the new salt and grain sent from Qingzhou are clear, and the resettlement of the displaced people is proceeding in an orderly manner. This is not something that can be achieved through empty talk. The eldest son's ability to implement the 'work relief' method to alleviate the plight of the displaced people has already demonstrated his talent in governance. Victory or defeat on the battlefield may be a matter of luck for a while, but the improvement of domestic affairs cannot be faked overnight."

The statements made by Tian Feng and Ju Shou, two important ministers known for their uprightness and outspokenness, immediately rendered the doubts raised by Feng Ji and others somewhat weak.

Yuan Shao stroked his long beard, his expression shifting.

His eldest son was capable, which naturally made him proud as a father, but this ability seemed to be beyond his control, making him feel both happy and uneasy.

Just as the argument inside the hall was about to escalate, a guard outside the door loudly announced:

"Report! The imperial envoy from Xuchang, Man Chong, the Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, has arrived with an imperial edict!"

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