20demayo Chapter 65: I'll castrate you, but you should thank me.
Chapter 65: I'll castrate you, but you should thank me.
Upon hearing this, the entire tent fell silent!
Cheng Yu's pupils suddenly contracted, his back straightened instantly, and a chill ran through him from the bottom of his heart!
Wang Hou was used by Cao Cao to stabilize the morale of his army; this was a top secret in Cao Cao's camp!
This matter was handled discreetly. Others only knew that Wang Hou was indeed corrupt, and only a few close confidants knew the truth. Yuan Tan was dozens of miles away; how could he know the truth?!
Could it be that... Yuan Tan already has spies within Cao Cao's core camp?
The moment this thought crossed Cheng Yu's mind, he felt a chill run down his spine.
His facial muscles twitched slightly as he forcefully suppressed his shock, his voice growing even colder:
"Yuan Qingzhou, what do you mean by that? I don't understand. Our army's provisions are governed by regulations. Today, I only ask you, Qingzhou, whether you lend them or not?"
I won't lend it to you today.
What are you going to do about it?
Cheng Yu, don't you eat human flesh?
With so many corpses under the walls of Shouchun, isn't that enough for you to cook for several days?
Just as Yuan Tan was about to utter these words,
A commotion and the sounds of carriages and horses came from outside the tent.
Soon, Wu Guan strode in, a hint of joy on his face, and announced loudly:
"My lord! The grain ships from Qingzhou have arrived at the port, carrying 5,000 shi of new grain!"
This "good news" came at the perfect time, yet at the worst possible time.
Yuan Tan couldn't help but smile bitterly; he had almost managed to fool everyone.
Why is Wu Guan causing trouble at this time?
The last trace of polite smile on Cheng Yu's face vanished, replaced by a furious rage at being fooled.
He suddenly took a step forward, almost grabbing Yuan Tan by the collar. If Yuan Tan hadn't quickly stepped back, it would have been a real joke.
He said in a stern voice:
"Yuan Xiansi! How dare you deceive the emperor and play tricks on the imperial envoy! You keep saying that food and reinforcements are exhausted, but the grain ships from the rear are still arriving in an endless stream!"
You hoard grain and act arrogantly, watching the imperial army suffer famine. What are your intentions? Could it be that you are secretly colluding with that traitor Yuan Shu of Shouchun, plotting to nurture a bandit to enhance your own power?!
The phrase "nurturing enemies to enhance one's own importance" carries a completely different meaning once uttered.
Although I do have such thoughts, I am certainly not like Li Chengliang.
He, Yuan Shu, is not some wild boar skin.
Yuan Tan's face gradually darkened.
Behind Yuan Tan, Yan Liang, Zhang He, and other generals had their hands on their sword hilts, glaring angrily.
A flash of anger crossed Yuan Tan's face, but it was instantly replaced by a helpless, bitter smile.
He raised his hand to stop his subordinates and waved his hand repeatedly at Cheng Yu:
"Mr. Zhongde, please calm down! Please calm down! It's a misunderstanding, a huge misunderstanding! This five thousand shi of grain is truly our last remaining strength. It was only by emptying the granaries of Linzi that Zijing managed to scrape together this amount. It's just a drop in the ocean, barely enough to feed Cao Cao's army for a few days, not even enough to quench their thirst! Tan's loyalty to His Majesty and Cao Cao is as clear as day!"
Seeing that Cheng Yu's face remained frosty, he rolled his eyes and suddenly slapped his thigh, saying:
"I've got it! Since you don't believe me, sir, I have no other choice. Here's what I'll do: I'll write a letter right now, and you can take my order to Linzi to meet with Prefect Lu Zijing! You'll see for yourself whether our Qingzhou treasury has any grain left! If it does, you can use it as you see fit, and I won't say a word! If not... please witness this yourself and report back to Cao Cao that it's not that I'm unwilling to lend it, but that there's simply no grain to lend!"
Before Cheng Yu could react, he strode to the desk, wrote quickly, stamped the document, and handed the warrant to Cheng Yu, his words full of sincerity.
Cheng Yu gripped the rolled-up warrant, a cold smile playing on his lips. How could he not know that this was Yuan Tan's "luring the tiger away from the mountain" and "delaying tactic"?
Sending him to Linzi, a thousand miles away, would take at least half a month for him to come and go, and by then the situation in Shouchun would have changed drastically.
But forcing him now would be useless; Yuan Tan had already "conceded" by allowing him to inspect the treasury. If he continued to press him, a mutiny might break out.
Going to Linzi might actually allow me to see for myself what Qingzhou is really like.
"Alright! I'll go and take a look at Linzi!"
Cheng Yu tucked the warrant into his sleeve and said coldly,
"I hope what Yuan Qingzhou said is true. Otherwise, the crimes of deceiving the emperor and the suspicion of possessing troops cannot be cleared up by words alone!"
"Don't worry, sir!"
Yuan Tan, all smiles, personally escorted Cheng Yu out of the tent.
When he turned around, the smile on his face vanished instantly.
He whispered instructions to Wu Guan, who was standing close beside him:
"You will personally accompany Cheng Zhongde back to Qingzhou. Remember, drive slowly and take a longer route so he can see the beautiful mountains and rivers of Qingzhou."
Rivers, lakes, seas, famous mountains, and great rivers—take him on detours wherever possible. Delay as long as possible.
Wu Guan understood and asked in a low voice, "What if... we can't hold out any longer? This person is shrewd and capable; it may be difficult to keep this a secret for long."
A cold glint flashed in Yuan Tan's eyes, and he lowered his voice even further:
"If he arrives in Linzi and finds no grain, he must return immediately, or if he notices something amiss... then let Zijing, in my name, submit a memorial praising Cheng Yu as a capable official, requesting the court to promote him to the position of Gentleman Attendant at the Palace Gate, and keep him in Linzi as an advisor."
The journey is long, the report will take time, and the appointment requires procedures. In the meantime, please rest well at the post station. All your needs must be met, but... you must not leave.
Wu Guan's heart skipped a beat; this was a disguised form of house arrest for Cheng Yu in Qingzhou!
Under the guise of promotion, they actually detained him, causing Cao Cao to lose this trusted advisor in the short term, yet making it difficult for him to openly criticize him.
"Understood."
Wu Guan bowed and accepted the order, and was about to leave to make arrangements when he suddenly turned back and said...
"Wait a minute, my lord, this Imperial Attendant seems to be a eunuch!"
"That's right. Isn't Cheng Yu very powerful? He even wants to inspect the country on behalf of the emperor. In our Han Dynasty, I can only recall the Ten Attendants of the previous dynasty having such power. Since he likes to inspect, let him inspect to his heart's content!"
After Yuan Tan finished speaking, he suddenly revealed a meaningful smile.
"Remember, have Lu Zijing present the memorial, but it's just for show. Don't actually do it with me. Once Cheng Yu leaves the governor's mansion, castrate him immediately. Remember, be quick about it."
The official announcement should be that Cheng Yu has left Qingzhou, but we don't know where he went. Furthermore, someone should be sent to impersonate Cheng Yu and leave Qingzhou on a grand scale.
Hmph, anyway, you, Cheng Yu, will never side with me, but killing you would be too merciful.
It would be better to leave you in Qingzhou.
In truth, this is for your own good. Sima Qian was castrated before he could write the Records of the Grand Historian. Who knows, you might be able to write a masterpiece that will be remembered for all time.
Besides, you're so old now, you probably don't need to carry on the family line anymore. Keeping this worry around will only disturb your mind.
Please don't thank me!
Wu Guan instantly understood. He used to be a bandit in Mount Tai, so he knew all too well about this kind of framing and false accusation.
"promise!"
Wu Guan bowed respectfully and stormed out the door.
Inside the tent, Guo Jia strolled over leisurely, suppressing a laugh, and said:
"My lord's move is ruthless. With Cheng Zhongde gone, Cao Cao has lost an arm. However, Cao Cao will realize that Cheng Yu's disappearance is related to you. This time, the feud between Cao Cao and you will likely deepen even further."
Yuan Tan walked back to the map, looked at Shouchun City, and said coldly:
"It was bound to happen sooner or later. Now, we finally have some time to think about how to safely transport our spoils home from this dangerous place."