noveltune Chapter 31 Each with their own calculations
Chapter 31 Each with their own calculations
Qingzhou, the residence of the Prefect of Dongwu.
"Lu Bu is quite sincere this time, willing to exchange Yan Liang, Cen Bi, and Langya for Lu Lingqi... Fengxiao, Zuozhi, what are your thoughts?"
Sinpi took a deep breath and said:
"My lord, these conditions seem generous, but the only one that is truly beneficial to us is Cen Bi. Although Yan Liang is brave, he may not necessarily be loyal to you."
And then there's Langya City, which is Zang Ba's private domain. Even if he says he'll surrender, he's a fickle man, and it won't be that easy. If we get into a stalemate with Zang Ba, I'm afraid Lü Bu will reap the benefits!
Yuan Tan nodded slightly upon hearing this.
In short, all the other conditions are just castles in the air. It's not worth it to exchange Lü Lingqi for Cen Bi.
Yuan Tan certainly knew it wasn't worth it.
However, Cen Bi was a former subordinate of his in Qingzhou, a long-time official who had followed him for several years. Although his abilities were mediocre, his loyalty was his greatest asset.
Of course, these are just superficial reasons. For a sophisticated egoist like Yuan Tan,
When faced with self-interest, everything can be abandoned.
What really bothered Yuan Tan was that Cen Bi represented the old troops of Qingzhou.
If word gets out that Yuan Tan refused to make the exchange, it will likely discourage these former Qingzhou troops.
These people were Yuan Tan's core support base. Although most of them had been scattered into county soldiers in various prefectures, they were still a force to be reckoned with when put together.
Moreover, Yuan Tan's reputation for treating his soldiers with kindness was one of the reasons why he was so popular with the army.
Yuan Xiansi absolutely cannot do something that destroys his own foundation!
As for Lü Lingqi, she hadn't even tasted the peach yet.
If we let them go, we don't know when we'll have a chance to meet again.
But compared to her, firmly holding onto the gun barrel is the key to survival in chaotic times.
This exchange, seemingly a loss, was actually a huge gain—using one woman to win the hearts of the entire army!
He looked at Guo Jia:
"What does Fengxiao think?"
Guo Jia coughed lightly and said:
"My lord, Lü Bu and Chen Gong's proposal is a scheme to divert trouble eastward. However, I still believe this is a golden opportunity!"
"Oh? What's your plan?"
Guo Jia calmly replied:
"Langya is a must! This is a crucial step for our lord to establish himself in Qingzhou and plan for development. How can we abandon it because of Lü Bu's scheme? However, we need a strategy to take it."
He lowered his voice:
"As far as I know, Langya City has also dispatched a lot of troops to pursue Lü Bu. If we disguise ourselves as bandits from Mount Tai and enter the city before them, it will not be difficult to take Langya."
"As for Yan Liang, he is indeed loyal and brave to Lord Yuan Shao, but he is also a righteous man. If you exchange Yan Liang for Lü Lingqi, he will surely repay this kindness! You can also keep him by your side under the pretext of keeping an eye on Lü Bu!"
After hearing this, Yuan Tan pondered for a long time.
The idea of disguising oneself as a bandit from Mount Tai to attack Langya may seem far-fetched, but it is indeed a feasible and ingenious plan.
The reason is simple: the Taishan bandits expanded too quickly, and they simply didn't have a unified uniform.
During wartime, they might be on high alert.
To prevent anyone from taking advantage of the situation.
But now that the war is over, Zang Ba is probably too busy celebrating to even think about the possibility of someone pulling a switcheroo.
However, according to this plan, Langya could indeed be captured without bloodshed.
But how to deal with these huge numbers of Taishan bandits?
It's a real headache!
Well, let's just take it one step at a time. Without taking Langya, everything else is just a rootless duckweed!
Thinking of this, Yuan Tan slammed his fist on the table and made a decisive decision:
"Very well! We will follow Fengxiao's plan! We will reply to Lü Bu, granting his request, but the details of the exchange must be arranged according to our plan! At the same time, we will order Zhang He to prepare the army and march on Langya!"
……
Beneath the walls of Langya City, a group of ragged Taishan bandits pushed a wrecked cart laden with supplies slowly toward the city gate.
The soldiers guarding the city gate merely peeked out twice, then glanced at the supplies on the cart, pursed their lips, and showed no suspicion.
Although Zang Ba occupied Langya, he was still essentially a bandit.
His soldiers had no pay or rations and relied entirely on looting to survive.
Therefore, it is perfectly normal for the soldiers not to know each other.
The soldiers guarding the city gate waved their hands, about to let them pass, when a cold shout suddenly came from afar.
"Wait!"
A fierce-looking bandit leader from Mount Tai approached, his hand on his sword. His gaze swept over the group, finally settling on Yuan Tan and Zhang He, who were at the head of the group.
Zhang He's heart tightened suddenly, and the short knife in his sleeve was already poised to strike.
Yuan Tan secretly lamented, wishing he hadn't come to join the fun.
If their secret is discovered, a barrage of arrows will rain down from the city wall, and they'll be riddled with holes on the spot.
Who knew that the next second,
The general walked up to a supply wagon.
He tapped the bulging burlap sacks on the cart with his scabbard, then kicked a few suits of armor that were still relatively intact. He glanced sideways at Yuan Tan and said with a forced smile:
"Which part? Don't you know the rules? You go out to work, and when you see your father, you don't even know how to show some respect?"
The henchman standing guard beside the general immediately stepped forward arrogantly:
"How dare you! This is Chang Xi, the second-in-command of my Taishan Army, also known as Master Chang! Bring out whatever good stuff you have, or we'll have to resort to violence!"
Yuan Tan was taken aback at first, then suddenly realized what was going on, and was speechless.
So the ringleader came here to divide the loot.
It's likely that the lack of discipline among Zang Ba's troops was a common occurrence.
He immediately adopted a fawning expression, cupped his hands, and said:
"Uncle Chang, please calm down! We were blind! We just made a quick buck near Tancheng. Please accept this small token of our appreciation!"
After saying this, he quickly signaled his men to unload several bags of grain and some of the captured weapons.
Changxi then gave a satisfied hum and waved his hand:
"You're smart to know what's good for you! Get inside!"
Hmph! You dog, how dare you tell your Uncle Yuan to get inside? I'll definitely take your dog's head then!
Yuan Tan then led his troops into the city.
We found a fairly open space.
He then told the soldiers to rest where they were.
It's still daytime, and there are still many patrol teams patrolling the city. It's not the time to make a move yet.
Yuan Tan remained on guard until night fell and the prefectural government's mansion was lit up with lanterns.
Soon, the sounds of clinking glasses and exchanging toasts could be heard from inside.
It seems the intelligence was correct; Zang Ba has been holding victory celebrations every night for the past few days.
Yuan Tan and Zhang He exchanged a glance.
The time has come!
"Let's do it!"
Yuan Tan gave a low shout, and the vanguard soldiers disguised as bandits from Mount Tai instantly sprang into action, quickly eliminating the guards near the city gate and taking control of the gate.
Zhang He then led the main force straight to the prefect's residence in the city center.
At this moment, the prefect's mansion was filled with the sounds of music and revelry.
Zang Ba held a grand celebration banquet to commemorate defeating Lü Bu, and his generals and officers drank until their faces were flushed.
Suddenly, shouts of killing erupted outside the mansion!
The tightly closed door was suddenly kicked open!
Zhang He took the lead, leading his fierce Qingzhou soldiers into the hall. With swords and spears at the ready, they instantly surrounded the group of drunken generals!
"Who goes there?!"
Zang Ba was so startled that he smashed the wine cup and stood up abruptly.
Yuan Tan stepped forward from the crowd and said loudly:
"General Xuan Gao (Zang Ba's courtesy name), how have you been? Yuan Xiansi, the governor of Qingzhou, has come to take over Langya!"