Chapter 98

As the governor of a state, Tao Qian was actually frightened by Yuan Fang's reputation to the point where his wine cup fell from his hand, splashing wine all over his body!

This was the first time Tao Qian had lost his composure since he took office as the governor of Xuzhou.

The advisors looked at the flustered Tao Qian with astonished eyes, their faces filled with shock.

In the hall, the beauties, unaware of the situation, continued to dance and play.

"Get out, all of you, get out!" Tao Qian, regaining his senses, waved his hand and shouted.

The beauties, frightened, hurriedly retreated.

With the music and dance withdrawn, the hall fell into a deathly silence.

Threads of fear spread like a plague among the officials of Xuzhou.

Slam!

Tao Qian slammed his hand on the table, gritting his teeth in anger, "That brat Yuan Fang, isn't he fighting with Gongsun Zan? How could he suddenly attack Dongwu and defeat our army? What's going on?"

Tao Qian, in his rage, could not figure out the reason.

"Report... Report to the governor, it is said that after defeating Gongsun Zan, Yuan Fang rushed to Dongwu without stopping. General Cao and his men fell for Yuan Fang's strategy of luring the tiger away from the mountain, thus suffering a great defeat," a bodyguard trembled as he answered.

The hall was filled with shock once again.

Tao Qian's anger was suppressed by this astonishing news, leaving him only with astonishment.

"Yuan Fang, that boy, actually... actually defeated Gongsun Zan?" Tao Qian exclaimed, his aged face twisted with disbelief.

Even the usually calm and experienced Chen Gui was overwhelmed with shock, his face filled with disbelief.

Yuan Fang's killing of Dan Jing and defeating of Tian Kai could be attributed to luck.

But now, Gongsun Zan personally led an army of 40,000 to attack Pingyuan, yet was also defeated by Yuan Fang, which could no longer be explained by luck.

Moreover, after defeating Gongsun Zan, Yuan Fang launched a long-distance attack and defeated their 40,000 troops from Xuzhou.

Within a few days, he defeated two powerful enemies, a feat that even someone like Tao Qian, who had been on the battlefield for a long time, could not believe a young man could accomplish.

But the harsh reality was that Yuan Fang had indeed done it.

Not only did Yuan Fang defeat their Xuzhou army, but he also advanced southward with great momentum, heading straight for their state capital, Tancheng, with the intention of annexing Xuzhou.

"This Yuan Er, is truly extraordinary. Perhaps I really misjudged him and underestimated him..." Chen Gui stroked his beard, inwardly marveling.

Tao Qian, however, was in a panic, fearing the loss of Kaiyang and the threat to his Tancheng.

In a panic, Tao Qian immediately ordered his elite Danyang troops to reinforce Kaiyang and instructed Generals Cao Bao and others to defend Kaiyang at all costs.

With a series of orders issued, the advisors in the hall were busy like ants on a hot pan, hastily dealing with the sudden crisis.

Seeing the chaos among his subordinates, Tao Qian felt a pang of regret, muttering, "This time, I tried to steal a chicken but ended up losing a handful of rice. I never thought that Yuan Shao's bastard son would be so formidable. If I had known, I wouldn't have provoked him. Sigh..."

...

While Tao Qian was sighing and dispatching troops to reinforce Kaiyang, Yuan Fang was already on his way to Kaiyang.

The vanguard led by Taishi Ci had already captured Yangdu, and Yuan Fang, leading the rear guard, was advancing south along the Yi River to join forces with Taishi Ci.

The Yi River runs from north to south, passing through the states of Langya and Donghai, with important cities like Kaiyang and Tancheng situated along its banks.

Yangdu County, located north of Kaiyang, was a must-pass point on the way to Kaiyang.

"We are currently taking advantage of our high morale to repeatedly defeat the Xuzhou army. If we want to eliminate Tao Qian and annex Xuzhou, our current forces might not be sufficient," Zhu Ling, riding alongside Yuan Fang, said with concern.

Yuan Fang, sensing his unspoken concerns, said, "What do you suggest, Wenbo? Speak your mind."

Zhu Ling cleared his throat and bowed, "I believe we should take advantage of the current favorable situation, consolidate our gains, and make peace with Tao Qian. This way, we can focus on consolidating our gains."

Yuan Fang, of course, knew that swallowing Xuzhou in one go was impossible.

With only a month left before the one-year deadline, a confrontation with Yuan Shao was imminent. He needed to quickly withdraw from the Xuzhou battlefield to focus on the more formidable Yuan Shao.

Understanding the situation, Yuan Fang coldly said, "We have the upper hand now. If we want peace, we must force Tao Qian to come to us for peace. Only then can we gain the upper hand in negotiations."

Zhu Ling was taken aback, suddenly realizing the wisdom in Yuan Fang's words, and hurriedly said, "You are right, my lord."

Negotiations require leverage, and the one who holds the initiative has more bargaining power. Yuan Fang intended to force Tao Qian to beg for peace, thereby gaining the upper hand.

Looking at the setting sun, it was already late in the day, and Yangdu was still over ten miles away.

Not wanting to march at night, Yuan Fang ordered the troops to set up camp and rest for the night, planning to head to Yangdu in the morning to join the vanguard.

The order was given, and the soldiers began to set up camp.

Yuan Fang looked around and noticed a large estate nestled between the water and the mountains, which seemed to belong to a prominent local family.

Yuan Fang summoned the guide and asked about the estate.

The guide replied, "My lord, that is the estate of the prominent Ge family of Langya."

The Ge family?

Hearing the name "Ge," a series of familiar names instantly came to Yuan Fang's mind.

The most famous, of course, was Zhuge Liang, along with Zhuge Jin, Zhuge Jun, Zhuge Dan, Zhuge Ke, and others.

The clever Ge family had placed their eggs in different baskets in the states of Wei, Shu, and Wu, each holding significant power, a testament to their wisdom.

However, Yuan Fang remembered that Zhuge Liang and Zhuge Jin's hometown was in Xuzhou's Langya, but they had moved south to avoid chaos.

"Since Xuzhou hasn't fallen into chaos yet, the Ge family probably hasn't moved. Since I've come across them today, I might as well pay them a visit..."

Yuan Fang made up his mind and led a few dozen cavalrymen to the Ge family estate.

On the way, Yuan Fang learned from the guide that the head of the Ge family, Zhuge Gui, had passed away a few years ago, and his brother Zhuge Xuan was serving under Liu Biao. The Ge family was now in decline, with only a few widows and orphans left in the estate.

As they approached the estate, the servants became extremely tense, climbing the walls as if facing a great enemy.

Yuan Fang looked around and saw that there were only a dozen or so servants on the walls, a far cry from the hundreds of soldiers at the Zhen family's fortress, making the scene look rather "shabby."

"It seems the Ge family has indeed declined..."

Yuan Fang sighed inwardly, rode up to the gate, and called out, "Tell your master that the governor of Qingzhou, Yuan Fang, has come to visit."

Upon hearing Yuan Fang's name, the servants on the wall were greatly alarmed, their legs trembling in fear.

This was no surprise, as Yuan Fang had defeated the Xuzhou army twice, and his army was almost at Tao Qian's doorstep. His reputation had already terrified the people of Xuzhou, and the servants were naturally frightened.

Soon, the gate creaked open, and a young man stepped out.

The young man approached calmly, bowed slightly, and said, "I am Zhuge Jin, a commoner. I greet General Yuan. I apologize for not welcoming you properly, as I was unaware of your visit."

Zhuge Jin?

Yuan Fang looked down and saw that the young man was about his age, with a long, narrow face and a composed demeanor.

This was Zhuge Jin, the future important minister of Eastern Wu.

Yuan Fang nodded slightly and waved his hand, "I was passing by and heard that the Ge family is a prominent family in Langya, so I decided to visit. There's no need to be nervous, Zhuge Jin."

Impressed by Zhuge Jin's composure, Yuan Fang felt a desire to recruit him and thus spoke more kindly.

Zhuge Jin, however, remained cautious, exchanged a few polite words, and invited Yuan Fang into the estate.

Yuan Fang dismounted and followed Zhuge Jin into the main hall.

Before entering, Yuan Fang heard a clear and steady voice reading aloud from a book.

Upon entering the hall, he saw a boy of about eleven or twelve, with a clear and bright face, reading intently from a scroll, completely absorbed in his task.

Zhuge Jin frowned and said, "Second brother, we have a distinguished guest. Come and greet General Yuan."

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(Note: The last two lines are placeholders for advertisements and should be ignored in the translation.)