NOVPUBEver since Lyu Bu became his ally, Yuan Shu felt as if the whole world had brightened up. His already small courage had inflated like a balloon with Lyu Bu’s arrival. It wasn’t just about Yuan Yi, whom he had already beaten to the point of submission, but he also planned to take his revenge on Sunx Jian all at once.
With the Imperial Seal in hand, valiant generals at his side, the rich and fertile lands of Central Plains, and over a hundred thousand tough veterans, Yuan Shu believed this was the Lord of Heaven’s way of signaling his rise to power, To not seize such an opportunity would surely bring divine retribution!
However, Yuan Shu did have quite a sense of loyalty. He had promised not to snatch the Imperial Seal from Sunx Ce, and he intended to keep that promise. Yet for some reason, every time he saw Sunx Ce, he couldn’t help but feel the kid was incredibly dashing and likable. In contrast, he felt his own sons were simply too weak.
"Bofu, be my son," Yuan Shu said as he passed by the Sunx Mansion and saw Sunx Ce practicing martial arts in the courtyard. He persuaded, "My own sons are truly disappointing. Why don’t you become my son instead?"
Sunx Ce was speechless. He didn’t understand why Yuan Shu, upon each meeting, hoped that he would acknowledge Yuan Shu as his father...
Sunx Ce ignored him, pretending he hadn’t heard a thing. He had realized that Yuan Shu harbored no ill intentions towards the Sunx Family, a sentiment that Huang Gai and others had confirmed as well.
Yuan Shu had seen the Sunx Family’s Imperial Seal. There was a momentary hint of intoxication and greed in his eyes, but he had endured and not said a word before leaving. Even Huang Gai and the others were amazed by his self-control. As much of a troublemaker as Yuan Shu could be at times, it was undeniable that once he gave his word, he honored it, truly a man of his mettle.
"Ah, if only my sons could be like you, I could die with no regrets. Keep training, Bofu. In a few days, Uncle will take you to sort out that fellow Liu Biao!" Yuan Shu’s affection for Sunx Ce meant he no longer used Liu Biao’s courtesy name, calling him by name instead to show his disdain.
"What!" Sunx Ce paused in his movements, turning around to ask.
"To avenge your father, as I’ve promised!" laughed Yuan Shu. "Train well, and I’ll give you three thousand troops as vanguard. Oh, and take my name card to Fengxian; he’s currently in Runan. You could ask him for some tips. He truly lives up to his reputation as the number one military general, and after Hulao Pass, he’s had a breakthrough, rising from his previous defeat, tsk tsk tsk!"
After speaking, Yuan Shu left with a laugh. Then Zhou Yu stepped out from behind the main hall’s door, "Bofu, your chance has arrived!"
"After waiting so long, I must kill Liu Biao!" Sunx Ce’s sword cleaved through a rockery in the courtyard, splitting it in two. "I have finally reached the peak of Qi Refining to Gang, touching the threshold of Inner Qi Manifestation. I must avenge my father!"
"I’ll be your strategist then," said Zhou Yu with a smile. "I’m already seventeen. It’s time for me to have a place in this world."
"I’ll definitely do it, but Gongjin, why have you been hiding from Uncle Gonglu so much recently?" asked Sunx Ce, curious. Lately, Zhou Yu had been avoiding Yuan Shu when he used to appear openly.
"He wants me to be his adopted son..." Zhou Yu spoke in an extremely exasperated tone. "It seems he’s taken quite an interest in me."
Zhou Yu and Sunx Ce exchanged looks, both sighing simultaneously before noticing the expressions on each other’s faces, which made them burst into laughter.
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"Although I’m reluctant to admit it, Yuan Gong truly embodies a sense of righteousness. The problem is that he can be easily beguiled at times, acting without thinking things through. When suppressed, he might show the color of a hero, but once there’s no one to hold him back, he’s likely to cause a major disaster," Zhou Yu reflected after considering Yuan Shu’s actions.
"Yes, before I came here, I even thought about using the Imperial Seal to secure a sanctuary. I didn’t expect my uncle would stay completely silent," Sunx Ce said with a wry smile, for he too was a man of honor.
Ever since Sunx Ce arrived in Runan, Yuan Shu hadn’t cheated the Sunx Family of anything. In fact, he went out of his way to protect them and even expressed his willingness to avenge Sunx Jian, never treating a member of the Sunx Family with anything less than kindness. Sunx Ce was truly grateful to Yuan Shu; unlike a ruthless overlord, the Little Overlord could not bring himself to repay kindness with enmity.
Sunx Ce had already decided that once his father’s death had been avenged, as long as Yuan Shu continued to treat him and his family as before, he wouldn’t mind putting his life on the line for Yuan Shu. Even acknowledging him as a sworn father wasn’t out of the question. Since he was prepared to pledge his service, a closer relationship might be beneficial. With him there, he could better protect the Sunx Family. He hadn’t yet considered the grand affairs of the world at this point.
"Report, Lord, news from the Jingzhou line. The entire high-ranking officials of Jingzhou are so drunk from drinking with the noted scholar Liu Weishuo that they are unlikely to be able to handle governmental affairs within the next five days!" Yano Xiang said loudly with a slight bow.
"What?" Yuan Shu was startled by the news, "Are you certain of this intelligence, Xianzong?"
"Lord, dispatch your troops quickly. If we miss this hour, we’ll lose this great opportunity!" Yano Xiang, although not a top strategist, knew well that speed was of the essence in warfare, particularly under these circumstances. A battle now could lock in victory, especially with Lyu Bu on their side, rendering their capability to break formations invincible!
"Excellent!" Yuan Shu exclaimed joyfully.
At this point, Yuan Shu hadn’t become arrogant or deluded enough to believe he possessed the Mandate of Heaven. Although he might occasionally act rashly, his own wealth and the glory of being an aristocratic family member made him disdain the idea of exploiting his subjects.
To put it accurately, Yuan Shu was simply too indolent to care about the common people. Thus, although some in Yuzhou mocked his inaction, the province was prosperous and people had a deep affection for him, for a completely non-disruptive official was rare to come by in decades.
In any other circumstances, Yuan Shu’s apathy might have resulted in the loss of countless lives, but Yuzhou reaped bountiful harvests year after year. Thus, his inaction was considered laissez-faire governance, and the common folks were quite satisfied with an official who didn’t meddle in their affairs.
As long as Yuan Shu didn’t introduce new taxes personally, the entire Yuzhou faced no threat of increased taxation. However, should Yuan Shu call for higher taxes, his subordinates could impose a multitude of harsh levies. In a strange twist, many Yuzhou officials cursed Yuan Shu’s inaction in private, yet the people of Yuzhou were well-fed and clothed.
Yuan Shu felt above interacting with the lowest class of people and beneath exploiting them. His pride was fully evident in the governance of Yuzhou. As for the officials there, Yuan Shu saw all as disciples and former officials of the Yuan Family, and any who dared to act out of line would be swiftly dealt with by his legitimate sons.
As such, Zhou Yu, Lub Su, Zhang Zhao, and other noted officials each felt that Yuan Shu would become arrogant if he achieved greatness. Nevertheless, they all acknowledged that Yuan Shu was indeed a heroic figure at the outset in Yuzhou, and given the Yuan Family’s power there and Yuzhou’s solid foundations, as long as destiny favored Yuan Shu and the harvests were good, even an arrogant Yuan Shu with the people’s support would be difficult to defeat.
In other words, whether Yuan Shu would succeed or not depended on destiny. If the years remained prosperous, even Cao Cao and others, no matter how they struggled, would only face a dead end. Yuan Shu wouldn’t even need to strategize; a direct push would lead to victory. Alas, destiny isn’t reliable...(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please vote for it at starting point (qidian.com), or recommend and vote monthly on your mobile at m.qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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