Chapter 342: Feng Ji and Yuan Ji, both belong to Prime Minister Gu

Outside Runan City.

In a certain hidden farmstead.

Yuan Shu's son Yuan Han, Yuan Shu's daughter Yuan Li, and Yuan Shu's second wife Feng Ji were temporarily hiding here under the protection of several death-sworn followers.

Feng Ji was originally the daughter of Feng Fang, the Colonel of Changshui during the era of Emperor Ling of Han, Liu Hong.

Feng Fang could be considered Yuan Shu's old colleague.

However,

Feng Fang had already passed away due to illness on the eve of Dong Zhuo's entry into the capital.

And his daughter, Feng Ji, had been staying in their hometown.

Later, Feng Ji was taken a fancy to by Yuan Shu, who had fled to Guandong to raise an army; she first became a favorite concubine, and later was promoted to the position of legal wife.

Feng Ji's face could be described as stunningly beautiful, and every smile and frown was filled with temptation.

Later generations have said:

Feng Ji was one of the "six most beautiful beauties of the late Han period."

The other five were Diao Chan, Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao, Zhen Mi, and Lady Fan, the sister-in-law of the Administrator of Guiyang, Zhao Fan.

(PS: According to research, this Lady Fan should have originally been a northerner, and only went to the south after marrying Zhao Fan's elder brother.)

Although the list of the "six most beautiful beauties of the late Han period" was likely an unofficial one,

it was enough to see Feng Ji's beauty from it.

It was a pity that Yuan Shu would never be able to enjoy such a beauty again.

Before Runan City fell,

the several death-sworn followers Yuan Shu trusted most

followed Yuan Shu's arrangements

and brought Feng Ji, Yuan Han, and Yuan Li out.

At the same time,

Yuan Shu ordered these death-sworn followers to avoid the Cao army's search and take Feng Ji, Yuan Han, and Yuan Li to join Ji Ling.

Ji Ling was currently at the border in the northwest direction of Yizhou, with seventy thousand soldiers still by his side.

These seventy thousand soldiers could not change the outcome of Yuan Shu's forces being annihilated,

but if they took these seventy thousand soldiers to join Gu Yi,

they should be able to preserve the lives of Feng Ji, Yuan Han, and Yuan Li.

Moreover,

under heaven,

only Gu Yi had the strength to ensure Yuan Shu's children would not die in the chaos of war.

So the question arises:

Why didn't Yuan Shu run himself?

It wasn't that he didn't want to run, but that he couldn't run at all!

Yuan Shu had declared himself Emperor, the first person in nearly two hundred years since Wang Mang to put the matter of declaring himself Emperor into practice.

But this meant that all those in the world who opposed Yuan Shu could not possibly allow Yuan Shu to live.

If Yuan Shu fled Runan, Xia Houyuan would definitely continue to send troops to hunt him down until he died.

If Yuan Shu chose to take the seventy thousand soldiers remaining by Ji Ling's side to join Gu Yi, it was also highly unlikely that Gu Yi would let him live.

This is not a question of vision or lack thereof.

It was that since Yuan Shu had taken that step of declaring himself Emperor,

it meant there was absolutely no way back.

Gu Yi had not yet usurped the Han at this moment;

his identity was still the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty.

The young Emperor Liu Xie was still sitting in Chang'ancheng.

How was Yuan Shu, this Pretender Emperor, supposed to conduct himself?

Therefore,

the only choice left for Yuan Shu was to send his son Yuan Han out.

Relying on the seventy thousand soldiers by Ji Ling's side,

as well as Yuan Shu's daughter Yuan Li and second wife Feng Ji,

as bargaining chips to preserve his son Yuan Han's life, it was already enough.

Regarding Gu Yi, Yuan Shu had more or less had some understanding of him in his daily life.

Wu Yi of the Shu region and Zhang Lu of Hanzhong had both married their sisters to Gu Yi, preserving their own safety.

Wu Yi had even gained Gu Yi's high esteem. ===== CHAPTER 343 =====