Chapter 49: Yuan Shikai Dollar? The Ultimate Patsy!
Yuan Shao ascended the high platform and, steadying himself with the table, took his seat.
“Thus, I shamelessly accept this lofty position. I can only hope that you all will unite your efforts to support the Han dynasty.”
“Whatever our leader commands, we shall carry out with all our strength!” Cao Cao was the first to respond enthusiastically.
“Whatever our leader commands, we shall carry out with all our strength!” the assembled warlords echoed in unison.
“Come, bring another seat—let Liu Xuande be installed as the nineteenth regional lord.”
When the dust settled, Yuan Shao displayed his generosity without hesitation.
Though Liu Bei seemed down and out at present, his two sworn brothers were men of great valor. If Yuan Shao could draw them to his side, it would greatly diminish his unease regarding Cao Cao.
Liu Bei looked to Yuan Shao, covering his face with his sleeve, and said, “My lord, I... ah! I am deeply ashamed!”
Yuan Shao waved it off without concern, comforting him, “The misunderstanding is cleared; it has nothing to do with you, Xuande. Only, your younger brother is impulsive and unruly—do take pains to keep him in check.”
Liu Bei bowed deeply. “With your magnanimity, my lord, I, Liu Bei, will devote myself to restoring the Han.”
Yuan Shao gazed at Liu Bei for a long moment, realizing the man would not change his words. He felt a deep dislike grow in his heart.
He signaled his personal guards with a glance.
And so, Liu Bei—who by rights should have stood equal among the lords—was left with nothing more than a low stool, seated near the entrance of the military tent, looking for all the world like a mere attendant.
Failing to draw Liu Bei closer, Yuan Shao was forced to reconsider his relationship with his childhood friend, Cao Cao.
“Mengde...”
“Whatever my lord commands.”
Meeting Cao Cao’s sincere gaze, Yuan Shao was filled with complicated emotions, not unlike a man wary of his younger brother’s ambitions.
This little brother was full of schemes. In the past, his reputation held him back, but after assassinating Dong, he had become a force to be reckoned with...
“With this campaign, Mengde, how many men do you command?”
Cao Cao replied smugly, “Five thousand seasoned troops, of whom a thousand are fully armored. Two generals, both men of great courage.”
A glint of cunning flashed in Yuan Shao’s eyes.
So, Cao Cao was still the same—small-minded, a bit of a show-off: boasting about five thousand men and a thousand suits of armor? It seemed he, Yuan Shao, would still need to provide for his “good little brother.”
“I intend to ease your burden, Mengde, and will allocate four thousand suits of leather armor to bring your numbers up to five thousand.”
Cao Cao was overjoyed, nearly ready to rush forward and kiss Yuan Shao.
Kneeling heavily on one knee, he clasped his hands and declared, “Your grace is boundless, my lord. I can only repay it with my utmost loyalty.”
“Good, ha ha ha! Come, Mengde, take the honored seat.”
One hearty gulp of wine sent Chen Cong into a coughing fit, spraying a faceful onto the man opposite—Xu Chu.
“Chen Zining, what’s wrong with you?!”
“The wine’s too strong—it goes straight to the head!”
His father-in-law had spent months and a small fortune of nearly a hundred thousand gold to procure just over two thousand suits of armor, reluctant even to distribute them among the camps.
But here was Old Yuan, casually handing out four thousand in a single breath!
No wonder Cao Cao was so fixated on Yuan Shao’s character. The top patron truly had wealth beyond compare!
“Pah—just four thousand suits of armor, and look at you, as if you’ve never seen the world.”
Chen Cong turned to see a handsome middle-aged man standing with his hands behind his back, exuding an air of supreme confidence.
“And who might you be?”
“The legitimate son of Marquis Xuanwen, Yuan Shu, styled Gonglu.”
Ah... the famed Yuan of the Sweetwater.
Chen Cong, not bothering to rise, offered a lackluster salute. “I’ve heard much of you.”
“I hear you’re the nineteenth-generation descendant of the Marquis of Quni?”
“Oh.”
Yuan Shu squeezed in beside Chen Cong, waving Xu Chu away.
---
Xu Chu wiped his face, picked up the wine jar, and left.
He’d rather not drink with Chen Cong anyway—perfect!
When they were alone, Yuan Shu whispered, “The Chen family has fallen; it’s only natural you’re ignorant of some things. The blame lies with your father-in-law for not telling you. Yuan Shao, a hero? He’s but a concubine’s son.”
“You say so, but he’s leader of the alliance.”
Yuan Shu scoffed, “Tell me, when your time comes, would you leave your estate to a son of secondary birth?”
“Of course not.”
“So there you have it.”
What nonsense!
Chen Cong was at a loss for words.
His own legitimate son was the Emperor of Wei’s direct grandson; when Cao Ang succeeded, he’d be his nephew. Even if he wanted to pass his legacy to a secondary son, the circumstances wouldn’t allow it.
Did Yuan Shu have emperors for grandfathers and uncles?
No—Yuan himself was Emperor Yuan the Great!
Pity he died young.
“Boy, how about this. Divorce Cao Cao’s daughter, and marry my illegitimate daughter instead. She’s beautiful, and well-matched with your family.”
Luckily, Xu Chu had taken the wine, or Chen Cong would have sprayed Yuan Shu in the face.
Damn!
That’s what it meant to have a double standard—condemning secondary birth one moment, then offering his own illegitimate daughter to replace Cao’s legitimate one the next.
Yuan Shu, sensing his own inconsistency, muttered, “Don’t think you’re getting the worse deal—my daughter is truly beautiful!”
For a fleeting moment, Chen Cong wanted to drag Yuan Shu back to Qiao County, just to show him the standard of beauty among the Cao family’s maids.
Even someone like Diao Chan would struggle to stand out, let alone a self-praising Yuan daughter.
“If you have business, speak plainly. If you’re simply bored, go run a couple laps outside.”
Yuan Shu was puzzled. “I, the Grand General, as your father-in-law, am I not as good as Cao Cao, the son of a eunuch?”
Chen Cong smiled, “You know I’m the... um, nineteenth-generation descendant of the Marquis of Quni. Families with real heritage are different from upstarts like yours. If you want to be my father-in-law, at least show some sincerity.”
Yuan Shu felt something was off.
“What kind of sincerity? And by the way—can you not even remember your own ancestors?”
“We’re talking sincerity, not ancestors. If you don’t want to talk, then forget it!”
Chen Cong made to leave, but Yuan Shu grabbed him.
“I have an iron mine near Ping’e. If you agree, I’ll include it as dowry.”
Hiss!
Chen Cong drew a sharp breath.
No wonder the Han dynasty was beyond saving—the very roots were being dug out.
Iron—now that was the most coveted strategic resource in turbulent times!
A mountain of gold could raise a hundred thousand men, but only an iron mine could arm a hundred thousand elite soldiers.
Otherwise, no matter how many troops you had, they’d be wielding hoes.
And this place—Chen Cong had heard of it!
Ping’e was just south of Pei, bordering Huainan Commandery, scarcely a few dozen miles from Qiao County!
Truly, comparison breeds envy.
Yuan Shao? He was nothing.
This was the real deal!
---
“Agreed, agreed—you are my father-in-law from this day forth!”
Yuan Shu thought nothing of it. Once Chen Cong married his daughter, the iron mine would just pass from one hand to the other.
He’d gain a peerless warrior as a son-in-law for nothing.
In that moment, Yuan Shu was on cloud nine.
“I shall be the leader of the anti-insurgency alliance.”
“No problem!” Chen Cong rubbed his hands. “Only, I haven’t seen the mine yet...”
Yuan Shu reached into his robe and produced a deed, handing it to Chen Cong.
“With this, you may mine at will. The Yuan family’s soldiers will not hinder you.”
Chen Cong flicked the deed, skeptical. “Who carries a deed around? Is this even real?”
“Why so many questions? Fine, I’ll tell you. I plan to resign as Governor of Nanyang and move to Huainan, so I took inventory of my assets before leaving. Deeds are valuable and light; they must be kept close, not left with outsiders.”
“Oh...”
Yuan Shu waited a while, but seeing no sign of his son-in-law making a bold move, banged the table and called out, “Zining, why aren’t you taking action?”
Chen Cong hurriedly pulled him down, apologizing to those nearby. “Yuan Gong has had a bit too much—pay him no mind.”
“Zining?”
He whispered, “Father-in-law, now is not the time. Think—Yuan Shao has just become alliance leader, and his prestige is at its peak. Wait until he suffers defeat and his support wanes; then we can oust him, and your wisdom and might will shine.”
Yuan Shu considered this and found it reasonable.
He pressed, “So when will you divorce your wife?”
“What divorce?” Chen Cong replied.
“If you don’t divorce, how will you remarry?”
Chen Cong grinned. “I promised to marry your daughter, not to divorce my wife. But don’t worry—once your daughter enters my household, her status will be equal to that of the main wife.”
Yuan Shu slammed the table again, pointing at Chen Cong.
Was he marrying off his daughter—or buying Chen Cong’s allegiance?
Now, an iron mine for a concubine? He, the illustrious Yuan Shu, how could he suffer such humiliation?
And yet...
Meeting Chen Cong’s half-smiling gaze, Yuan Shu fell silent.
With the deed in Chen Cong’s hands, snatching it back was impossible.
Refusing to honor it was also unacceptable; the great families had their own rules. If he seized Chen family property today, others would do the same to the Yuan family tomorrow.
If the order among the noble clans collapsed, it would be the Yuan family who suffered most—such was the price of great wealth.
Yuan Shu sat back down, muttering, “Will you really help me seize the alliance leadership?”
Chen Cong smiled. “Of course. I’m a man of my word. Since I’ve accepted your gift, I won’t go back on my promise. And if you add more to the dowry, I’ll even fetch you the Imperial Jade Seal.”
Though he’d been taken advantage of once, Yuan Shu was shamefully tempted again.
“Really?”
“Absolutely.”
“If you succeed, I’ll add two copper mines, a salt field, ten thousand acres of good land, and ten carts each of fine jade and gold.”
This time, Yuan Shu was smarter—the promises were only verbal.
Chen Cong grinned.
The Imperial Jade Seal? Simple—just search the palace well by well.
With Yuan Shu on his side, his own stake in the enterprise would multiply twentyfold at the least!
“It’s a deal!” Chen Cong raised his hand.
Yuan Shu struck his palm thrice. “If I break this oath, let man and heaven alike abandon me!”