NOVPUBJust like this time, Liu Yu could have simply pretended that Gongsun Zan never appeared; after all, the man was consuming his own provisions. Logically speaking, Liu Yu had no right to obstruct Gongsun Zan, yet Liu Yu was the Governor of Youzhou, wielding the utmost power within the Youzhou region!
Now Gongsun Zan was in a pitiful state. Liu Yu sized up his own frail arms and legs, then considered Gongsun Zan, who had been battered by Yuan Shao, and was sure that if he kicked Gongsun Zan while he was down, Gongsun wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. Therefore, he planned to properly educate Gongsun Zan on how to behave.
This goes to show that in reality, Liu Yu was also quite sly, except Gongsun Zan had simply never given Liu Yu the opportunity to show it before.
"Lord, General Gongsun is here to visit," Wei You said as he walked in slowly towards Liu Yu. In truth, he was a proponent of peace, feeling helpless about the conflict between Gongsun Zan and Liu Yu and always hoping to reconcile the two. Unfortunately, some matters wouldn’t shift with one’s will.
"Bring him in," Liu Yu said with a gentle expression.
Liu Yu found Wei You to be rather naive, but he was also moved by his willingness. Besides, Wei You was one of the few under his command adept at governing a territory, so although Liu Yu wasn’t pleased with Wei You’s frequent attempts to persuade him not to be an enemy to Gongsun Zan, he never punished him for it. On the contrary, he often used Wei You to demonstrate his own magnanimity and benevolence.
"As you command," replied Wei You, bowing and stepping back, while Yan Rou stepped up with a bow.
"What is it, Hui Wen?" asked Liu Yu upon seeing Yan Rou approaching.
"Lord, Gongsun Bogui is just a mere warrior; now he appears in Zhuo County, with no more than a thousand troops outside. I wish to behead him for you, Lord, and rid you of this nuisance!" said Yan Rou, kneeling on one knee earnestly. He held great respect for Liu Yu and was naturally eager to relieve Liu Yu of his troubles.
"That’s out of the question!" Liu Yu immediately stopped Yan Rou. In his eyes, both he and Gongsun Zan were Han Officials; although their political views differed, it was not permissible to kill at will. No matter how dissatisfied he was, at most he could capture Gongsun Bogui and send him to Chang’an for the Emperor’s judgment. To kill an official on one’s own initiative was the act of a Rebellious Minister!
"If that’s the case, Lord, why not let me capture Gongsun Bogui for you? I can list his crimes, bind him, and send him to Chang’an. Although Zhuo County’s military strength isn’t vast, it still counts more than ten thousand. How could Gongsun Bogui’s ragtag thousand escape?" Yan Rou, quick-witted, naturally understood Liu Yu’s thoughts and so suggested an alternative, exuding strong confidence.
"No, no, the situation has not reached such an extent. Should we scheme against Gongsun Bogui, and by some mischance it fails, Youzhou would be plunged into turmoil," Liu Yu said, waving his hand. After all, in his view, Gongsun Zan was already like meat on the chopping board, so why take that momentary risk?
Yan Rou stepped back, a touch of unwillingness in his eyes, but he said no more. He admired Liu Yu precisely because of Liu Yu’s grandeur.
Gongsun Zan, with a dark face, pushed Wei You aside, brought his men, and walked straight in. Looking at Liu Yu, who was sitting in the seat of honor, Gongsun Zan’s rage surged, but years of experience as an official allowed him to retain a shred of reason.
"Greetings, Lord Provincial Governor," said Gongsun Zan, bowing to Liu Yu—after all, he was nominally Liu Yu’s subordinate.
Inside, Liu Yu sneered, but outwardly he maintained the warmth of an elder, "General Gongsun has worked hard. Take a seat, take a seat. I wonder which tribe of the Hu People have you exterminated this time?" His mouth said ’take a seat’, yet there wasn’t a single seat in sight.
Without waiting for Gongsun Zan’s reply, Liu Yu, as if he had suddenly become senile, tapped his head, "Oh, look at my memory; lately, there have been no Hu People left in Youzhou. General Gongsun has started to count Han heads as military merits. I wonder which family has been brought to ruin for your achievements this time?" Liu Yu mocked sardonically.
"Hmph, I’d like to know why the Lord Provincial Governor is withholding my provisions!" Gongsun Zan took a deep breath to suppress the rage in his heart and glared at Liu Yu, cutting straight to the point.
"In Youzhou, the bitter cold has caused many people to become displaced, and I don’t know whose fault it is that their homes were destroyed and their families lost. I had no choice but to open the granaries and distribute grain, cutting military expenditures," Liu Yu said, not a bit afraid of Gongsun Zan’s murderous gaze, looking straight into his eyes.
"The provisions under my command, Gongsun Zan, were all collected by myself, when have they ever fallen under the control of the Provincial Governor?" Gongsun Zan bellowed angrily.
"I am in charge of Youzhou. Since when have the provisions become your property? The people under the Great Han Dynasty, since when have they become your private assets, Gongsun Zan?" Liu Yu rebuked sharply, slamming his fist onto the desk and standing up, "What right do you have to conscript so many soldiers? A mere edict from Dong Zhuo, and you dare act thus, as if the Han Dynasty has no one to command!"
"Liu Yu, you insignificant man, how dare you!" Gongsun Zan roared, stepping forward aggressively as if he would charge at Liu Yu. How could he tolerate someone trying to undermine his military authority?
"Guongsun Bogui, face your death!" Yan Rou shouted in rage, drawing his sword, "Where are the Four Directions guards? Seize this group of rebels who dare to defy their superiors!"
"Chop down Yan Rou for me!" Gongsun Zan, infuriated, drew his sword and was about to strike Yan Rou, but was held back by Tian Chou, and so he roared at the people all around him.
The guards outside heard the commotion and rushed in to surround Gongsun Zan and his party.
"Stop, stop!" Wei You rushed inside, shouting loudly, while Liu Yu’s face was also dark with fury as he yelled.
"Hui Wen, stand down!" Liu Yu glared at Yan Rou and commanded.
Gongsun Zan’s generals stood sword in hand opposing Liu Yu’s guards, but under Wei You’s mediation, the situation finally cooled down.
"Gongsun Bogui, we have no grain to spare. Because of your military campaign to Jizhou, countless people in Youzhou have lost their homes. Every single grain I have will be used to aid the people!" Liu Yu shouted sternly, having weighed his guard’s strength and realizing capturing Gongsun Zan was impossible, so he had to settle for the next best thing. He was acutely aware that drawing weapons against each other signified there was no possibility of reconciliation!
"Remember this, Liu Yu!" Gongsun Zan glared at him fiercely, and then without hesitation turned and gave orders to his generals.
"Lord! How could you engage in real combat with Gongsun Bogui!" Wei You asked with a bitter face after Gongsun Zan had left.
"Hmph, my lord, please allow me to muster troops! Given today’s incident, Gongsun Bogui will certainly not let the matter rest! We must prepare early for defense," Yan Rou requested with a cold smirk, kneeling before Liu Yu, clearly disdainful of Wei You.
"Go ahead," Liu Yu replied curtly, simply gesturing for Yan Rou to leave. A gleam of pleasure flashed in Yan Rou’s eyes – he had long disapproved of the troublesome Gongsun Zan, and now Liu Yu seemed to have finally had enough of him. Before Yan Rou could withdraw, however, he heard Liu Yu’s words, "Do not disturb the people, leave Gongsun Zan’s life intact, send him to Chang’an, and those among Gongsun’s generals willing to surrender shall be spared and not pursued further!"
"The lord is benevolent," Yan Rou sighed, then slowly withdrew.
"Lord, must you really do this?" Wei You asked, appearing utterly dejected.
"Gongsun Bogui has gone too far!" Liu Yu, angry, hurled a cup away. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)
