Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 353 My Father, Situ

After being rebuked by Zhu Gongdao in a subtle yet firm manner, Xu You's face flashed with displeasure, but he quickly composed himself, stopped talking to him, and simply walked forward silently with his hands behind his back.

However, when he stepped into the front yard through the main gate of the small courtyard, he couldn't help but pause, and he froze on the spot.

The sight before him made him almost doubt that he had gone to the wrong place.

No, is this still my own backyard?

The carefully tended flowers and plants were uprooted and scattered aside, leaving the courtyard bare of soil, and dust billowing up whenever the wind blew.

What's even more alarming is that several walls stand prominently along the path from the gate to the hall, with winding moats dug in between, turning this small courtyard into a miniature camp. The sunlight shines obliquely into the courtyard, casting mottled shadows, which adds a touch of grimness.

Xu You narrowed his eyes slightly, carefully scanning the scale and direction of the walls and trenches, calculating in his mind.

Even if all the soil dug out of the trench were used to build the fortifications, it would still not reach the scale seen today.

Since there wasn't enough earth on the ground, it goes without saying where the excess earth and stones came from.

A sense of understanding flashed through Xu You's mind, but he didn't reveal it.

Some things are best left unsaid; bringing them into the open only creates more conflict.

Led by Zhu Gongdao, Xu You crossed the front yard, which was filled with walls and moats, and arrived at a bedroom in the middle of the courtyard.

A woman in embroidered robes stepped forward and slowly pushed open the door. Xu You finally met the guest he had gone to great lengths to see that day.

He was a young man not yet thirty, his face was slightly pale and lacked color, he looked sickly, and he was leaning weakly against the headboard, his lower body covered by a quilt.

Hearing the creaking sound of the door hinges, he slowly turned his head and met Xu You's gaze.

Xu You sized up the young man, a friendly smile spreading across his face. He quickly approached the bedside and asked with concern, "Prime Minister Cui, has your injury improved?"

Xu You's tone sounded very sincere, but his words were nothing but empty politeness.

The doctors in the manor are all his people, so how could he not know about Cui Jun's health condition?
Cui Jun did not get up, but returned the greeting with his hands clasped on the couch. His voice was slightly weak as he said, "What Prime Minister Cui? The corrupt official had already dismissed me. Now I am nothing but a commoner."

“That is not true.” Xu You’s attitude remained polite, even somewhat ingratiating. “Ni Chong is nothing but a traitor who defies the court. Even if he is still the King of Chen, he has no right to dismiss the prime minister. As long as the court has not issued a document, you are still the prime minister of Chen.”

Of course, Xu You didn't actually need to curry favor with Cui Jun, but he couldn't resist the fact that Cui Jun had a father who held the high position of Minister of Works.

After harboring the intention to pledge allegiance to the imperial court, Xu You sent his trusted confidants to closely monitor Cui Jun's movements. This led to the rescue of Zhu Gongdao in the alley and the secret reception of Cui Jun, Zhu Gongdao, Bao Chu, and others in his residence to recuperate and evade capture.

Fortunately, although Liu Chong was dissatisfied with him, he only thought it was a difference of political views and did not suspect him of colluding with the court, nor did he send anyone to search his residence. Among the wounded, Cui Jun was the most seriously injured.

The evacuation was so chaotic that no one noticed he had been shot in the abdomen with a crossbow bolt. Cui Jun didn't want to burden others, so he lost too much blood and fell into a coma. Even the physicians at Xu You's residence almost gave up on treating him.

It was truly fortunate that Cui Jun was able to survive; given his physical condition, it will be difficult for him to leave his sickbed in the short term.

Hearing Xu You's address to Liu Chong and his protective words towards him, Cui Jun's eyes flashed with a strange light. He keenly grasped the deeper meaning behind Xu You's words, but pretended not to know. He waved his hand and said, "The State of Chen should no longer exist in the future, so let's not mention the title of 'Prime Minister.' I will never forget your life-saving grace. If you don't mind, I will call you 'Brother Ziyuan,' and you can call me 'Yuanping.'"

Faced with Cui Jun's feigned ignorance, Xu You did not expose him. Instead, he felt that although the boy was young, he was meticulous and handled things properly. His interest grew, and his smile became more genuine. He said, "It seems that Yuanping has great confidence in the court. Even though he is cut off from outside information, he does not show any anxiety."

Cui Jun did not answer immediately, but turned his head slightly and looked directly at Xu You. The two stared at each other for a moment, and the room was so quiet that only the sound of the wind outside the window could be heard.

Suddenly, Cui Jun laughed loudly, but the laughter aggravated his wounds, causing him to cough twice. He said, "Brother Ziyuan, don't you think so too? Otherwise, why would you risk your life to save us, and why would you come to see me, an injured person, today? Isn't this a case of great minds thinking alike?"

Xu You did not respond, but the increasingly relaxed and radiant smile on his face was the best answer.

He has always enjoyed dealing with intelligent people, especially those like Cui Jun, who are of noble birth, speak and act with propriety, and are adept at reading people.

Unlike some crude brutes.

Therefore, Xu You stopped beating around the bush and directly stated his conditions, saying, "I need Minister Cui to recommend me for a position in the Ministry of Personnel or the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, even if it is just an ordinary junior official position."

Upon hearing this, Cui Jun looked up at Xu You, who was clearly quite familiar with the new system of the court.

Although these two departments are the true power center of the court today, Xu You's conditions are not only not harsh, but can even be described as extremely low.

With Xu You's reputation and the merit of "abandoning darkness for light," coupled with proper maneuvering, it would not be difficult for him to obtain a high-ranking official position in the capital or a prefectural governor position with a salary of two thousand shi.

Moreover, Xu You had a close friend like Cao Cao, so why would he need Cui Lie to strongly recommend him?
This was clearly a way of giving credit to Xu You, the disgraced prime minister of Chen, for "turning Xu You into a defection." At the same time, it was also a way for Xu You to curry favor with the Cui family of Boling and, incidentally, to make friends with his father, the Minister of Works, through him.

This was a win-win deal, and Cui Jun naturally wouldn't refuse. He immediately made a clear political promise to Xu You as the eldest son of the Boling Cui clan, saying, "Yes, I will also speak highly of Brother Ziyuan's merits before the nation."

Without a single explicit word of conspiracy, the two had already completed a tacit cooperation negotiation through eye contact and brief conversation.

Zhu Gongdao and Bao Chu, who were standing nearby, pointed directly at the two men. Although they heard the conversation clearly, they did not understand the subtle meaning in the two men's words, nor did they know how Xu You was going to take specific actions to complete this cooperation.

However, the next day, when Liu Chong personally visited him, Xu You initially pretended to decline, but only after the "wise king" lowered his stance and repeatedly pleaded did he "reluctantly" agree to come out of seclusion and enter the core decision-making circle of the State of Chen.

(End of this chapter)