Chapter 65

Duchang, Yuan Ying.

The camp gates were wide open, and Zhu Ling led a group of remaining soldiers to gather at the camp entrance, looking southward with anticipation.

Before long, on the southern road, dust rose as a spirited and imposing force slowly approached from the south.

The red "Yuan" banner fluttered in the wind, displaying its might.

At the forefront of the formation, a young man clad in silver armor, wielding a heavy cudgel, had eyes like stars and a calm demeanor, exuding an intangible aura of authority.

"The young master has returned, the young master has returned."

The soldiers in the camp immediately became agitated, each one excited and overwhelmed with emotion.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Yuan Fang raised his head and rode his horse, leading his victorious army, which had just crushed the Xuzhou forces, into the camp slowly.

The sound of armor clashing filled the air as the waiting soldiers knelt to the ground, paying their respects to their returning young master.

Every face of the Yuan army soldiers was filled with awe and reverence, and every heart was genuinely devoted to their young master.

Yuan Fang had thoroughly won the hearts of the soldiers with a great victory.

With just a few thousand troops, he had defeated a much larger enemy in three days and captured the top general of Xuzhou, Zang Ba, an incredible feat that Yuan Fang had accomplished.

This battle had earned him a fearsome reputation.

Zhu Ling spurred his horse forward, clasped his hands, and exclaimed, "I never thought that the young master would defeat the Xuzhou forces in just three days and capture Zang Ba. I am thoroughly convinced."

Yuan Fang laughed heartily and patted Zhu Ling on the shoulder, saying, "If it weren't for the soldiers' bravery and your efforts in surrounding Duchang, I wouldn't have been able to defeat the enemy so confidently."

Although Yuan Fang enjoyed the reverence of the soldiers, he did not become arrogant and did not forget to commend the achievements of Zhu Ling and the other soldiers.

Zhu Ling and the others felt gratified by Yuan Fang's praise, and their admiration for him grew even more.

Amidst the cheers and welcomes of the soldiers, Yuan Fang entered the camp, dismounted, and confidently walked into the main tent.

Mishuan had been waiting for a long time in the camp.

Seeing Yuan Fang, Mishuan bowed gracefully, "I congratulate the young master on your great victory over the Xuzhou forces and your significant achievement."

Sitting back in his seat, Yuan Fang smiled and said, "Miss Mi, I'm sorry, but it seems that I, Yuan Fang, have won our bet."

"Alas~"

Mishuan sighed deeply, her beautiful face showing a hint of helplessness, "The young master's strategy truly surprised me. To be honest, I have never done a losing business. However, I will honor the bet and share the intelligence gathered by the Mi family's trade network with you."

The extremely intelligent and business-savvy Mishuan had to admit her inferiority to Yuan Fang.

By defeating the Xuzhou forces and utilizing the Mi family's intelligence network, Yuan Fang had gained a significant advantage.

Feeling a sense of satisfaction, Yuan Fang smiled, "Miss Mi, there's no need to sigh. Although you lost the bet, I can still make a concession and reduce the commercial taxes of the Mi family in Qingzhou by thirty percent."

Mishuan was taken aback, looking up at Yuan Fang, seemingly unable to believe that he would still offer them a benefit despite winning.

Yuan Fang knew that to make use of the Mi family, coercion alone was not enough; he needed to offer them incentives to win their loyalty, just as in warfare, where both kindness and authority must be balanced.

Mishuan was pleasantly surprised and thought to herself, "I didn't expect him to be so generous. Although it's not a complete exemption, a thirty percent reduction in commercial taxes is still a significant amount..."

Despite her joy, Mishuan said calmly, "I thank the young master for your generosity. However, the Mi family never accepts favors without reciprocating. Let me recommend a capable person to you as a token of my gratitude."

True to her nature as a merchant, Mishuan understood that there was no such thing as a free lunch.

Yuan Fang smiled and said, "I am currently in dire need of talent. If Miss Mi has any capable person to recommend, I would be glad to hear about it."

"This person is named Sun Qian, with the courtesy name Gongyou, and he is a native of Beihai," Mishuan said softly.

Sun Qian?

Yuan Fang's heart stirred, and he quickly recognized who this person was.

This Sun Qian was the same strategist who served under Liu Bei in history.

Yuan Fang remembered that although Sun Qian's talent did not match that of Guo Jia, he was a skilled orator and often served as Liu Bei's envoy. Historically, Sun Qian was sent to negotiate with Liu Biao and Cao Cao before Liu Bei sought refuge with them.

Mishuan continued, "Sun Qian is efficient and has a talent for oratory. However, since he is not a famous scholar, he has not been employed by Kong Rong. I believe he could be of some use to the young master."

"Indeed, I have several military officers, but I lack civil officials. In the future, I will need to negotiate with the warlords, and a skilled orator will be essential. Mishuan's recommendation of Sun Qian is indeed timely."

Yuan Fang was secretly pleased and immediately wrote a letter to summon Sun Qian.

After sending the letter, Yuan Fang smiled and said, "I thank Miss Mi for recommending this capable person. Once I capture Duchang and take control of the entire Qingzhou, your family can resume your business in Qingzhou and earn substantial profits again."

Zang Ba had been defeated, and the fall of the city was only a matter of time. Yuan Fang was confident.

However, Mishuan warned, "I advise the young master not to be overly optimistic. The forces you defeated are just a minor loss for Xuzhou. I fear that if you anger the governor Tao Qian, he might mobilize the entire state's forces to seek revenge, which would be difficult for you to handle."

Hearing this, Yuan Fang burst into laughter, his voice filled with disdain.

Mishuan's brows furrowed, unsure why Yuan Fang was laughing.

After his laughter subsided, Yuan Fang asked, "I thank Miss Mi for your warning, but did you forget what I told you before?"

"Does the young master mean..." Mishuan was unsure of Yuan Fang's meaning.

Yuan Fang's lips curled in disdain, and he said coldly, "I said that Tao Qian, who wants to weaken Zang Ba, is a self-preserving villain. Even if I defeat his reinforcements, or even if I invade Xuzhou and cause significant damage, he will never send troops to Qingzhou to seek revenge."

Historically, Tao Qian remained in Xuzhou until his death, never sending troops outside, which was the basis for Yuan Fang's confident judgment.

"Is the young master so certain?" Mishuan was skeptical, finding it hard to believe that an outsider like Yuan Fang knew more about the governor of Xuzhou than she did.

"Miss Mi, if you don't believe me, just wait and see. I am confident that the situation will become clear within a few days," Yuan Fang said without further explanation.

Mishuan's delicate brows furrowed, her eyes filled with doubt.

...

Tancheng, the state hall.

The white-haired Tao Qian sat at the head of the hall, his face dark.

The officials in the hall were also solemn, none of them speaking a word.

Slam!

Tao Qian threw the intelligence report onto the table, his voice hoarse with anger, "This brat Yuan Fang dares to provoke me, Tao Qian. He is truly audacious and hateful."

The officials in the hall were shocked.

Accompanied by a light cough, an elderly man with white hair slowly said, "It is indeed surprising that this scoundrel Yuan Fang could defeat Zang Ba, but he has also helped the lord eliminate a thorn in our side. This could be considered a good thing."

Tao Qian looked up and recognized the elderly man as Chen Gui, a renowned scholar of Xuzhou and one of his advisors.

Tao Qian's anger subsided slightly, and he stroked his white beard, saying, "Chen Gui's words make sense. According to your advice, should this state mobilize a large army to punish Yuan Fang?"

Chen Gui shook his head, "The world is in chaos, and wars have spread to all states. Only Xuzhou has managed to remain outside the conflict, preserving peace. If the lord mobilizes a large army, it could lead to the separation of families and the spread of war to Xuzhou."

As Chen Gui spoke, other officials like Cao Bao also agreed.

The Chen and Cao families were two of the three major families in Xuzhou, and their opposition to a large-scale military campaign was clear.

Tao Qian's resolve to go to war was quickly suppressed.

After a moment of contemplation, Tao Qian said, "Your words are reasonable. As the governor of Xuzhou, my primary responsibility is to protect the peace of the people. This time, I will let the brat Yuan Fang off."

"The lord's wisdom is a blessing for the people of Xuzhou," Chen Gui quickly praised.

Tao Qian smiled slightly, feeling somewhat proud. Suddenly, he remembered something and said, "Quickly, issue my order to appoint Liu Xuande as the governor of Langya, and have him station his troops in Juxian to defend the northern border of Xuzhou and prevent Yuan Fang from invading."

With the decision made, Tao Qian and his officials no longer inquired about Zang Ba's fate.

...

A few days later, the spies delivered this intelligence to Duchang, handing it to Yuan Fang.

"Indeed, as I expected..."

Looking at the intelligence in his hand, Yuan Fang sneered and ordered, "Bring Zang Ba to see me."

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