Chapter 43: I, as a Loyal Minister of Wei, Cannot Tolerate This

Ma Yi.

“Si Jing, you’ve finally arrived! I’ve missed you terribly!”

Li Shuang took Yu Jin by the hand and led him into the room.

The warmth of his greeting even surprised Yu Jin, stirring something deep within him.

Inside the room, three men were already waiting.

Two of them were imposing in bearing and stature; as for the third, Yu Jin instinctively filtered him out.

Li Shuang summoned the three and introduced them:

“This is Yang Kan, courtesy name Zu Xin, my battalion commander.”

The man before him stood eight feet tall, broad-shouldered and handsome, every movement refined and courteous, making one instinctively feel drawn to him.

“The Yang clan of Taishan, a family of two thousand stones for generations, renowned across the land for integrity and virtue. When the Grand Tutor Yang Hu entered court despite illness to urge the conquest of Wu, his loyalty moved all who read the annals. Emperor Wu of Jin later fulfilled his final strategy and achieved unification. Now, observing Zu Xin’s literary talent and martial skill, he rivals his ancestor.”

“You flatter me!”

Li Shuang continued the introductions:

“This is Gao Ang, courtesy name Ao Cao, my other battalion commander.”

Gao Ang lacked Yang Kan’s refinement; he appeared arrogant, yet his dragon-like brows and leopard-like neck gave him an extraordinary aura.

“The Gao clan of Bohai, a great family of the coastal regions, producing talent generation after generation. Tracing back to Jiang Ziya and Kongzi, their lineage flourished through Chen and Qi. I’ve heard Ao Cao single-handedly subdued the northern Hu heroes—his valor rivals Xiang Yu, and his fame inspires deep admiration.”

Gao Ang said nothing, only raised his hand slightly.

Seeing this, Yu Jin did not take offense and turned to the third man.

“This is Hou Jing, courtesy name Wan Jing, newly arrived from Si Prefecture, serving as my chief clerk.”

The reason Yu Jin had instinctively ignored him was because this man had almost no presence at all.

Hou Jing was neither as impressive as Yang Kan nor Gao Ang; in fact, he looked somewhat shabby.

Yu Jin fell silent for a few seconds, then bowed and said:

“A great honor to make your acquaintance!”

Hou Jing had spent his youth as a soldier in Huai Shuo and had little education; he simply found it odd.

Why had Yu Jin spoken at length about Yang Kan and Gao Ang, yet only uttered “a great honor” for him?

“I’ve long admired you too!”

Gao Ang nearly laughed out loud at this.

Seeing the awkward silence, Li Shuang spoke up:

“Now that we’ve all met, we’re family. The Liuzhen rebels are nearing Hengzhou. Si Jing, what do you suggest we do next?”

By introducing Yu Jin to his core circle, Li Shuang had effectively brought him into the fold.

As a newcomer, he needed to prove himself with some achievement to earn his place.

Yu Jin understood this and offered his first suggestion:

“Next, we must be wary of Yuan Shen!”

Gao Ang waved his sleeve dismissively and sneered:

“He’s just a dead tiger now—what’s there to fear?”

Yu Jin smiled faintly, with a hint of caution:

“Ao Cao is mistaken. Yuan Shen hasn’t breathed his last. A dying beast is the most dangerous of all.”

Li Shuang nodded. Gao Ang and the others fell into thought.

Yu Jin continued:

“Yuan Shen lives in extravagance and has left massive deficits. He’s secretly sold military supplies, committing crimes of unimaginable scale. Now that the Liuzhen rebels are nearing Hengzhou, if the court investigates, Yuan Shen can no longer hide his crimes. Once exposed, even if he escapes death, he won’t be able to remain in Hengzhou.”

This man, once Yuan Shen’s friend and ally, knew him best. Yu Jin brushed past the reasons behind Yuan Shen’s deficits and illicit arms sales, stating only the conclusion.

“To conceal his crimes, Yuan Shen will make three moves.”

“What three?”

“First, he’ll send troops to fight Bei Lie Bu Ruo. This battle will end in defeat, allowing the lost military supplies in Pingcheng to vanish without inquiry.”

“Second, he’ll forcibly marry Du Gu Ru. By taking the Du Gu tribe’s three thousand elite cavalry and seizing their cattle, sheep, horses, and wealth, he can explain away his deficits.”

Yang Kan could not help asking:

“And the third?”

Yu Jin looked at Li Shuang and said:

“With the northern frontier in such chaos, as Hengzhou Inspector, Yuan Shen bears full responsibility. To shift blame, he must find a scapegoat—and the most suitable candidate is the defender of Ma Yi.”

All eyes turned to Li Shuang, who immediately cursed aloud:

“Unbelievable! This corrupt thief dares to plan three moves? To allow such a traitorous worm to run rampant—is this what a loyal minister does?!”

“Your Lordship is wise!”

“Great Lord, Bei Lie Bu Ruo now holds the city. Our troops are unprepared—we lack equipment. We cannot defeat the enemy in haste.”

Inside the tent, no matter how his subordinates pleaded, Yuan Shen’s face remained cold, showing no sign of retracting his order.

“The rebels have surrounded Yunzhong and are advancing toward Hengzhou. Bei Lie Bu Ruo has now rebelled and marched on Pingcheng. If they join forces, it will be a grave threat. If we don’t crush them swiftly, how can we answer the court?”

“Even so, we should wait until we’re fully prepared. At least, we could coordinate with the Ma Yi defender. With his troops and personal retainers, we’d have five thousand men—and he enjoys the loyalty of surrounding tribes, capable of recruiting local militia as reinforcements.”

At the mention of Li Shuang, Yuan Shen’s icy aura made the air feel like ice.

“Without Li Shuang, can I accomplish nothing?”

The general who spoke dared not utter another word.

“All of you are the court’s mighty generals, your troops fierce and brave. Bei Lie Bu Ruo is merely a rebel—what threat could he possibly pose?”

The tent fell silent. Troops were dispatched, and Yuan Shen waited for news.

“Great Lord!”

The messenger returned with battlefield reports. Yuan Shen, who had been cold-faced, now wore an anxious expression.

“We lost!”

Upon hearing those two words, Yuan Shen’s face finally relaxed.

The men in the tent, seeing his change in expression, grew uneasy, puzzled by his reaction.

But the messenger had not finished.

“Then we won!”

Yuan Shen demanded:

“What happened?”

“As our troops advanced, Bei Lie Bu Ruo’s forces ambushed us. We were on the verge of collapse—until Ku Di Gan suddenly arrived with his troops and turned the tide, defeating Bei Lie Bu Ruo.”

Hearing this, Yuan Shen nearly staggered.

“Great Lord!”

The men moved to support him, but Yuan Shen waved them off.

“I’m fine—just very pleased!”

The men stared, even more bewildered.

Pleased enough to nearly collapse?

Outside the tent came Ku Di Gan’s laughter as he strode in, bold and unbothered.

“Great Lord, you always say we northern leaders care more for ourselves than for the court. How’s that working out now?”

Ku Di Gan stood in the center of the tent, beaming.

“I’ve defeated the rebel Bei Lie Bu Ruo and driven him back to Wo Yang. He won’t dare show his face outside the walls again. Great Lord, how’s my loyalty to the court?”

Yuan Shen listened, his eyes blazing with fury, teeth clenched:

“Loyalty… beyond words!”

…