usatvline Chapter 26 Seize their foundation and steal their credit
Chapter 26 Seize their foundation and steal their credit
Liu's words, seemingly out of concern for Yuan Tan, were actually an attempt to completely deny Yuan Tan's contributions.
It can be described as extremely insidious.
Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao's joy subsided slightly, and he stroked his beard thoughtfully, saying:
"What you say, Madam, is not without merit."
Just then, the strategist Shen Pei stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said:
"Your Majesty's concerns are absolutely correct. The eldest son is young and has suddenly achieved great merit, so it is indeed necessary to verify his abilities carefully. This is the advice of a wise and experienced ruler."
He first acknowledged Madam Liu's concerns, then changed the subject:
"However, the eldest son is alone and facing Lü Bu's fierce army, which will likely be difficult to deal with. At this time, it is precisely what I, as his subject, need to share the burden with our lord and help the young master consolidate his power!"
He turned to Yuan Shao and solemnly said:
"I, though unworthy, am willing to personally travel to Qingzhou! Firstly, to convey my lord's condolences to the soldiers, verify their merits and demerits, and ensure that rewards and punishments are appropriate; secondly, with Lü Bu recently defeated, it is time to reinforce our troops and exert further pressure."
"Please accompany General Yan Liang, leading 20,000 elite troops, to assist the eldest son in completely quelling the threat from Qing and Xu!"
Shen Pei's words were eloquent and perfectly reasonable.
On the surface, they were there to help Yuan Tan and verify his military achievements, but in reality, they were there to monitor him, divide his power, and seize his credit.
Young Yuan Shang was naturally unaware of these thoughts.
He even once thought that Shen Pei should abandon darkness and embrace the light.
That old scoundrel Shen Pei, how dare you do this?
Yuan Shang wanted to object, but saw his mother, Liu, who had taken over the position, shake her head at him.
Could there be a deeper meaning behind this appointment?
Thinking of this, Yuan Shang immediately replied:
"Father! Prefect Shen is wise and experienced in governing the country; this plan is excellent! With General Yan Liang's bravery and Prefect Shen's strategic acumen, we will surely be able to help our elder brother stabilize Qingzhou, which will put your mind at ease!"
Yuan Shao was an indecisive man, and with no one around to speak up for Yuan Tan, he naturally believed Shen Pei's slander.
He slammed his hand on the table and said:
"Very well! As Zheng Nan says! Yan Liang and Shen Pei, you two are to lead 20,000 elite troops to Qingzhou immediately. All matters will be decided by Zheng Nan on the spot!"
"Yes, sir!"
Shen Pei and Yan Liang agreed in unison.
……
Ye City, the residence of Shen Pei.
"Screw Zheng Nan!"
Yuan Shang kicked open the door, his face ashen, and pointed at Shen Pei's nose, cursing.
"Whose side are you on?! Not only did you not stop Father from sending reinforcements and rewards to that lowly servant's son, but you even volunteered to help him?! Have you forgotten how you promised my mother?!"
Now look what's happened! He's accomplished such a great feat; how am I supposed to face the consequences?!
Faced with Yuan Shang's overwhelming rage, Shen Pei remained calm and composed. He first waved away the panicked servants, closed the door, and then turned around with a cold smile on his lips.
"Third Young Master, please calm down. Do you really think I'm going to Qingzhou to be a stepping stone for that brat Yuan Xiansi?"
"Isn't that right?!"
Yuan Shang's anger had not subsided.
"Twenty thousand elite troops! And Yan Liang too! Doesn't this give him wings?"
"Hehehe,"
Shen Pei chuckled and gestured for Yuan Shang to sit down.
"Third Young Master, you've only seen the surface. My purpose in going there is not to help him, but rather... to seize his foundation and steal his credit!"
"Trying to steal credit?"
Yuan Shang was taken aback, his anger subsided slightly, but he was still puzzled.
"Exactly!"
A glint of light flashed in Shen Pei's eyes.
"Yuan Tan is a man of great ambition but little talent, fond of scheming but indecisive, outwardly fierce but inwardly weak! What did he rely on to win this time by sheer luck?"
It was nothing more than relying on Zhang He's reckless courage and a bit of luck! Without Zhang He, what would Yuan Xiansi be? Just a spoiled brat!
He leaned closer to Yuan Shang, his voice even lower:
"When I arrived in Qingzhou, the first thing I did was, under the pretext of strengthening defenses, to transfer Zhang He and his troops away from Yuan Tan's side and bring them under my direct control!"
At that time, Yuan Tan will be like a tiger with a severed arm or a snake with its teeth pulled out; what waves can he possibly stir up then?
Yuan Shang was skeptical:
"Transfer Zhang He? Would he willingly submit to your orders? And would Yuan Tan agree to that?"
"He had no choice but to agree!"
Shen Pei sneered.
"I have 20,000 troops! Yuan Tan only has a mere 3,000 men. What can he do to fight me?"
As for Zhang He, he's just a mere warrior. A little bribery or coercion will be enough to subdue him; how could he dare disobey? Without his claws and teeth, Yuan Tan is nothing but a puppet before me.”
Seeing that Yuan Shang's expression had relaxed, he knew that he was not entirely convinced, so he took out a roll of silk from his sleeve and handed it to him:
"If you don't believe me, Third Young Master, please look at this."
Yuan Shang took the letter, unfolded it, and saw that it was the latest secret letter from Wu Yu. The letter detailed Yuan Tan's actions after arriving in Qingzhou:
He spent his days touring and hunting with beauties, indulging in the beauty of nature. He entrusted most of the military affairs to Zhang He, while neglecting political matters, appearing to be indulging in pleasure and having no interest in important matters.
"Is...is this real?"
After reading it, Yuan Shang's anger vanished, replaced by a look of delight.
"I personally arranged for Wu Yu's arrival; how could I dare to lie?"
Shen Pei said firmly,
"Yuan Tan's nature is hard to change; his minor victories are merely fleeting. Once I arrive in Qingzhou, I will only need to guide him slightly to reveal his 'true' side to our lord. At that time, it will be uncertain whose credit he will receive!"
Yuan Shang finally understood Shen Pei's scheme completely:
"Good! Good for you, Shen Zhengnan! So that's what you were planning! Seize his military power, steal his war merits, and make him suffer in silence! Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"
He patted Shen Pei on the shoulder:
"Therefore, the affairs of Qingzhou depend entirely on you, Prefect! You must ensure that that lowly servant's son never has a chance to rise again!"
Shen Pei bowed deeply, a cold glint in his eyes:
"Rest assured, Third Young Master, I will certainly not fail in my mission."
……
Outside Langya City, in Lü Bu's main camp, at the central command tent.
Several fleeing soldiers who had managed to escape from Tancheng lay prostrate on the ground, trembling like leaves, recounting their nightmarish ordeal in broken sentences:
"Our grain transport convoy was ambushed by Yuan Tan's army on the official road outside Tancheng. The leader was a fierce general who wielded a spear, and the brothers couldn't hold them off..."
"Then... Miss... Miss led troops to rescue, and... and never came back..."
The fleeing soldiers' words were filled with fear, but the pieced-together information was like a bomb, sending chills down the spines of the generals in the tent!
Lü Bu's beloved daughter, Lü Lingqi, has been captured!
A large amount of grain and fodder stored in Tancheng was burned!
If these messages were to spread out of the central command tent, they would be enough to shake the morale of the army.
"Bullshit! It's all bullshit!"
Lu Bu suddenly kicked over the table in front of him, his eyes bloodshot, and roared at the fleeing soldiers:
"Yuan Tan, that good-for-nothing who only knows how to eat, drink, and have fun in Ye City? How could he have such abilities? To sail a thousand miles across the sea, burn the grain supplies, and capture my beloved daughter alive?"
"You useless bastards! You've lost the battle, yet you dare to fabricate such nonsense to demoralize the army! Guards! Drag them out and behead them!"
The routed soldiers were terrified and kowtowed repeatedly, wailing and crying:
"Lord Wen, spare my life! Everything I said is true!"
The generals inside the tent, such as Song Xian and Wei Xu, looked at each other in disbelief.
They also found the battle report too bizarre; when did Yuan Tan acquire such unfathomable abilities?
"My lord, please calm your anger!"
Chen Gong hurriedly spoke up to dissuade him, he was equally shocked.
"This matter is suspicious and requires further investigation. Perhaps we should wait..."
"Investigate in detail? What else is there to investigate!"
Lu Bu roared,
"These fools must be cowards who fled in terror and fabricated lies! My Bingzhou cavalry is invincible; how could we possibly be defeated by a brat like Yuan Tan?!"
Just as chaos erupted inside the tent.
"Report—!"
Outside the tent, a messenger stumbled into the main tent, knelt on one knee, raised a sealed copper tube high with both hands, and shouted:
"Urgent dispatch from Xuzhou! Military report from General Gao Shun!"