Chapter 71

Taishi Ci's body suddenly trembled, and he finally realized that Yuan Fang had long had a way to control him, but had not used it until now.

After bowing to his mother, he stood up and faced Yuan Fang, frowning and said, "Since you have my old mother, why didn't you use her to force me to surrender when the city was under siege?"

Yuan Fang smiled, "Of course I could have used your mother to force you to surrender, but I didn't do it. Taishi Ziyi, you are a reasonable person, why do you think I didn't?"

Why?

Obviously, it was because Yuan Fang appreciated Taishi Ci and wanted him to genuinely join him, so he was unwilling to use Chen's family to force Taishi Ci to surrender before the city fell.

Taishi Ci helped Kong Rong defend Beihai out of a sense of righteousness, and Yuan Fang did not want to use filial piety to force him to abandon his sense of righteousness.

Taishi Ci, a man who understood great principles, immediately understood Yuan Fang's intentions upon hearing his words.

His furrowed brows slowly relaxed, and the hostility in his eyes diminished, with a hint of admiration flashing through them.

Yuan Fang noticed the change in Taishi Ci's emotions and waved his hand, "Send Lady Chen back to rest. I have more to say to Ziyi alone."

The attendants led Chen's family away, and Taishi Ci, being in Yuan Fang's camp, could only follow his arrangements.

Watching his mother leave, Taishi Ci took a deep breath and raised his head, "Second Master Yuan, Taishi Ci is here, do with me as you will."

Yuan Fang pondered for a moment and nodded, "Since you are at my disposal, I will have you join me, Yuan Fang, and help me achieve great things."

Yuan Fang did not beat around the bush and clearly expressed his intention to recruit him.

Taishi Ci's body trembled, his brows furrowed again, and he stood there in silence.

Clearly, he was hesitating.

Just a short while ago, he was still fighting for Kong Rong, and now that Kong Rong had been killed by Yuan Fang, he was to surrender to Yuan Fang. Would this not invite criticism?

Yuan Fang, of course, could see what he was thinking and asked, "Taishi Ziyi, I ask you, are you a subordinate of Kong Rong?"

"Of course not, I only came to help Kong Beihai because the Yellow Turbans besieged Duchang," Taishi Ci replied straightforwardly.

"Since you are not a subordinate of Kong Rong, why should you be loyal to him? Now that Kong Rong is dead, you have already done your best for him. Why can't you join me, Yuan Fang?" Yuan Fang countered.

Taishi Ci's eyes flickered, and his furrowed brows relaxed slightly, clearly showing some hesitation.

Yuan Fang then raised his voice, "Kong Rong is nothing but a corrupt scholar, incapable of stabilizing the country or protecting the people. All he does is sit and talk, and levy heavy taxes, causing the people of Beihai to be in constant distress. Such an incompetent person, you, Taishi Ci, helped out of a sense of righteousness. Why can't you lend me a hand?"

Yuan Fang's words were harsh, exposing Kong Rong's incompetence and cruelty.

Each word was like a blade, piercing Taishi Ci's heart.

He remembered Kong Rong's incompetence, his repeated refusal to listen to advice, his disdain for warriors, and his weakness in surrendering without a fight when the city fell.

All these things made him realize deep down that Kong Rong was not a wise ruler. If it were not for a sense of righteousness, why would he, Taishi Ci, fight to the last moment for such an incompetent person?

"I have already done my best for Kong Rong. Although Yuan Fang is a bastard son of the Yuan family, he is both wise and brave, with a remarkable demeanor, showing some qualities of a hero. Besides, my mother is in his hands. It seems there is no other choice but to join him..."

Taishi Ci weighed the options in his mind, and found himself with no other path.

Yuan Fang had used both grand principles and subtle tactics to block all his retreats, leaving him no choice but to surrender.

After a long silence, Taishi Ci sighed deeply and said resolutely, "I am deeply grateful for your regard, Master. If you want me to join you sincerely, I have two conditions."

"Speak," Yuan Fang said, his heart filled with joy.

Taishi Ci then said seriously, "The first condition is that I request a proper burial for Kong Beihai. The second condition is that I ask you to reduce the taxes in Beihai to give the people a chance to live."

Taishi Ci's two conditions were not excessive. The first, burying Kong Rong, was not a big deal, and the second, reducing taxes, was something Yuan Fang did not intend to overtax the people of Qingzhou. Rest and recuperation were also necessary.

After a moment's thought, Yuan Fang agreed readily, "These two conditions are not excessive. I will agree to them, Ziyi."

Seeing Yuan Fang agree so readily, Taishi Ci was somewhat surprised but also genuinely impressed by Yuan Fang's decisiveness.

Without further hesitation, Taishi Ci took a deep breath and clasped his hands, "If so, I, Ci, am willing to join you, Master, and serve you faithfully."

"Ha ha, with Ziyi's help, I have gained another great general," Yuan Fang was delighted and burst into laughter.

Taishi Ci was not only a master of martial arts but also deeply knowledgeable in military strategy. More importantly, he was skilled in both land and naval warfare, making him a rare and versatile general.

Gaining such a great general was indeed a significant boost for Yuan Fang.

Yuan Fang then comforted Taishi Ci and sent him to reunite with his mother, to spend time with Lady Chen.

After Taishi Ci left, Yuan Fang quickly calmed down and returned to the second condition Taishi Ci had proposed.

He wanted to expand his military strength to prepare for a future conflict with Yuan Shao, which required a large amount of money and grain. These resources could only be obtained from the people of Qingzhou, in other words, by increasing taxes.

However, Yuan Fang did not want to overtax the people. Not only could he not increase taxes, but he also needed to reduce them, creating a contradiction.

"It seems I must follow Cao Cao's example and quickly implement large-scale land reclamation in Qingzhou..."

This was the only solution Yuan Fang could think of. Historically, Cao Cao had accumulated a large amount of grain through land reclamation, which laid a solid material foundation for his unification of the north. Yuan Fang, well-versed in history, knew the benefits of land reclamation and would not hesitate to use it.

However, to implement land reclamation, he could recruit the displaced people, but he would need to provide oxen and farming tools, which he would have to supply himself.

In a sense, these resources would still need to be obtained from the people of Qingzhou.

After much contemplation, Yuan Fang's eyes brightened, and he suddenly thought of a win-win solution.

He immediately left his tent and strode quickly to the tent where Mi Huan was staying.

The Mi family was one of the wealthiest in the land, with plenty of oxen and farming tools. The "investment" needed for land reclamation could only be provided by the Mi family.

In no time, Yuan Fang arrived at the tent and was about to enter.

"Master, please wait, my lady is not available to see guests at the moment," the Mi family servant at the door quickly stopped him.

"I have urgent matters to discuss, move aside," Yuan Fang, eager to resolve the land reclamation issue, pushed aside the servant and entered the tent.

In the outer tent, there was no sign of Mi Huan. Without hesitation, Yuan Fang headed straight for the inner tent.

As he stepped in, Yuan Fang suddenly heard the sound of water from the inner tent. A thought flashed through his mind, and he instinctively wanted to stop.

But he was moving too fast, and before he could stop, his other foot stepped in.

Looking up, he saw steam rising in the inner tent. In the large wooden basin, Mi Huan was leisurely bathing.

Although her back was to Yuan Fang and most of her body was submerged in water, the smooth, jade-like back and shoulders were visible, glistening with moisture.

Seeing this beautiful scene, Yuan Fang was momentarily stunned.

At that moment, Mi Huan seemed to hear the commotion and lazily turned her head. She was startled to see Yuan Fang standing behind her.

"Ahh~"

Mi Huan screamed, her entire body quickly shrinking into the water. She quickly covered herself with her arms, and her tender face flushed with embarrassment.

Yuan Fang also realized his indiscretion and quickly turned away.

"Cough, I have matters to discuss with you, Miss. I will wait outside," Yuan Fang said calmly, showing no signs of panic, and walked out of the outer tent.

Watching Yuan Fang leave, Mi Huan took a while to recover, biting her lip and complaining, "How could you barge in without warning? It's so embarrassing..."

The beauty in the water, her face flushed like a rosy dawn.

---

Page AD begins

Page AD ends