Chapter 70

With his skull shattered and brain matter splattering, Kong Rong let out a muffled groan and fell into a pool of blood.

Priding himself as the descendant of a sage and a renowned scholar of high birth, Kong Rong met his end under Yuan Fang's iron club.

Yuan Fang let out a long breath, feeling a surge of satisfaction.

The soldiers around him, including Yuan Gui, had long been annoyed by Kong Rong's self-righteous demeanor. Seeing their young master kill this detestable pedant, they all cheered, feeling a great sense of relief.

Zhu Ling sighed, "Kong Rong, with his pride in his lineage, spoke disrespectfully to you, and even refused your kindness. He deserved to die. However, it would have been better if we could have persuaded him to surrender."

"Surrender?" Yuan Fang snorted, "Should I send him to my father, to let him speak ill of me every day?"

Zhu Ling's body trembled, suddenly realizing that Kong Rong had to be killed.

Given Kong Rong's prejudice against Yuan Fang, if he were to be spared and sent to Yuan Shao, he would surely seize every opportunity to slander Yuan Fang to Yuan Shao once he gained favor.

Yuan Fang already had Yuan Tan and his faction constantly opposing him; he couldn't afford to add more trouble for himself.

Kong Rong would not surrender, so he had to be killed.

Zhu Ling, suddenly enlightened, nodded deeply, "You did the right thing, my lord. Kong Rong deserved to die. Moreover, Kong Rong's heavy taxation and oppression in Beihai have caused widespread resentment among the people. By killing him, you have won the hearts of the people in Beihai."

Zhu Ling, being a wise man, once he understood Yuan Fang's intentions, naturally supported him wholeheartedly.

Yuan Fang laughed heartily, "Duchang has fallen, and Kong Rong is dead. No one in Qingzhou can stand against us. Send a message of victory to my father, to surprise him and let him know that his son, whom he looks down upon, has taken control of the entire Qingzhou."

With Qingzhou under his control, Yuan Fang naturally intended to use this great victory to establish his prestige and win the admiration of the people in Ji Province.

"I understand, my lord," Zhu Ling replied.

As he finished speaking, Yan Liang, covered in blood, entered with his sword.

"My lord, this battle was satisfying, but it's a pity that Taishi Ci managed to escape. His martial skills are truly formidable; even I, Yan Liang, couldn't stop him," Yan Liang said, somewhat disappointed.

Taishi Ci's martial skills were at least at the level of internal organ cultivation. Even Yan Liang would have to put in considerable effort to defeat him, let alone capture him in the chaos of battle.

Zhu Ling, hearing this, lamented, "Without Taishi Ci, Kong Rong, with his mediocre talents, could not have held out in Duchang for so long. Taishi Ci is indeed a capable general. It's a pity that he escaped. If you could recruit him, it would be even better."

"Rest assured, he will come back eventually," Yuan Fang said with a sly smile.

Zhu Ling and Yan Liang were taken aback, exchanging glances, both seeming to doubt it.

Yan Liang shook his head, "I don't believe it, my lord. Taishi Ci fought his way out with all his might. Now that he has escaped, why would he come back? Unless he's a fool."

Yuan Fang did not explain, only laughed, "Whether Taishi Ci will come back or not will be clear soon. Just wait a few days."

Yan Liang and Zhu Ling were very curious, wondering how their lord could be so certain that Taishi Ci would return. However, they did not press further, only suppressing their curiosity to see what would happen in a few days.

With Duchang fallen and Kong Rong dead, Yuan Fang had effectively eliminated the last resistance in Qingzhou, including the forces of Gongsun Zan and the Han court.

Yuan Fang remained in Duchang, pacifying the people and dividing his troops to capture the remaining counties that had not surrendered.

With Kong Rong dead and Tao Qian's reinforcements defeated, no one in Qingzhou dared to resist Yuan Fang's forces. As a result, the counties surrendered without a fight as the Yuan army approached.

After nearly nine months of bitter fighting and over a dozen battles, in the first month of the fourth year of Chuping, Yuan Fang finally took control of Qingzhou.

Although the six commanderies of Qingzhou had suffered greatly from the ravages of the Yellow Turban rebels and the wars between Yuan Fang, Tian Kai, and Kong Rong, the region still had a population of several hundred thousand.

These several hundred thousand people could provide Yuan Fang with a considerable number of soldiers, becoming a strong backing for his next steps.

In addition to the six commanderies of Qingzhou, after over a dozen battles, Yuan Fang's forces had grown to over twenty thousand, ten times the two thousand he started with.

Moreover, besides these twenty thousand troops, Yuan Fang had another four to five thousand surrendered soldiers waiting to be integrated into his army.

With his forces ten times larger, Yuan Fang was no longer a lone commander. He now had five capable generals: Yan Liang, Zhu Ling, Hao Zhao, Guo Huai, and Zang Ba.

Furthermore, Yuan Fang had established a relationship with the Mi family, one of the three wealthiest families in the land, sharing their vast intelligence network and gaining access to their resources when needed.

In the hall, Yuan Fang stood with his hands behind his back, examining the map of Qingzhou on the wall, his thoughts swirling with a mix of emotions.

"In these nine months, I have transformed from a penniless, illegitimate son, despised and oppressed by others, to a ruler of a province with tens of thousands of troops under my command, and my reputation spreading far and wide. The change is truly earth-shattering, almost like a dream..."

A hint of satisfaction flickered across the young man's handsome face.

Soon, Yuan Fang calmed down, pulling his thoughts away from his current achievements and focusing on the future.

"Less than three months remain until the competition. Yuan Xi will likely fail to take Bingzhou, so I am certain to win. However, Yuan Shao is too biased and will probably find other excuses to avoid fulfilling his promise. Moreover, he will not trust me with an army outside, and will likely try to take Qingzhou from me. When that happens, I will have no choice but to confront Yuan Shao. Yes, greater challenges lie ahead, and I must prepare early..."

His thoughts were interrupted by hurried footsteps.

Turning around, Zhu Ling entered excitedly, exclaiming, "My lord, your foresight is truly divine. It's unbelievable, but Taishi Ci has really returned. He is outside the city, requesting an audience with you."

Yuan Fang smiled, thinking to himself that Taishi Ci had indeed come, and ordered him to be brought in.

"How did you predict that Taishi Ci would return? It's truly amazing," Zhu Ling asked, curiosity evident in his voice.

Yuan Fang did not answer, only waving his hand and ordering, "Bring in the old lady Chen as well."

Old Lady Chen?

Zhu Ling was taken aback, momentarily puzzled.

Yuan Fang then smiled faintly, "In fact, over a month ago, I sent a team to Donglai to bring Taishi Ci's mother, Old Lady Chen, here. Taishi Ci is known for his filial piety. Although he managed to break through and return to Donglai, once he learns that his mother is in my hands, he will surely return."

With this revelation, it became clear that Yuan Fang had privately instructed Yuan Gui to send a team to Donglai to bring an important person, none other than Taishi Ci's mother.

Zhu Ling was enlightened, bowing and exclaiming, "So, my lord had the foresight to plan this a month in advance. No wonder, no wonder."

Yuan Fang smiled, not responding to Zhu Ling's praise.

Soon, the white-haired Old Lady Chen, supported by several maids, entered the hall.

Yuan Fang hurriedly descended from his seat, personally helping Old Lady Chen inside and ordering his attendants to serve tea and snacks, treating her with great courtesy.

Old Lady Chen had just settled when a guard entered, bowing and reporting, "My lord, Taishi Ci has arrived and is waiting outside for an audience."

Upon hearing that her son had arrived, Old Lady Chen's body trembled, her face lighting up with joy.

Yuan Fang smiled, waving his hand, "Bring Taishi Ziyi in quickly."

Soon, heavy footsteps echoed, and a tall, robust man, his face heavy with sorrow, entered the hall.

As Taishi Ci entered, he saw Yuan Fang seated above, and his expression darkened even more.

In the next moment, he suddenly noticed his mother in the hall.

In an instant, the gloom on Taishi Ci's face dissipated, replaced by boundless joy. He rushed to Old Lady Chen, fell to his knees, and wept as he paid his respects.

Watching Taishi Ci prostrate himself before his mother, Yuan Fang smiled faintly, "Taishi Ziyi, I and your mother have been waiting for you for days. Why have you come so late?"