Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 5 Your youngest son is often ill; you must encourage him!

Long boots trod on the snow-covered cobblestone path in the courtyard, leaving deep and shallow imprints. Before the two could greet each other, the crisp sound of chess pieces hitting the board could be heard from behind the bamboo curtain.

"coming."

"Did the strategist know we were coming?"

Yuan Yin and Li Feng lifted the curtain and entered, where they saw a young scholar in black robes with wide sleeves, appearing and disappearing amidst the rising smoke from the incense burner.

It was none other than the strategist Yang Hong!

"They're too impatient!"
"Your intentions are so obvious; even Yan Xiang guessed what you wanted to see our lord for. How could I not know?"

Yang Hong held a chess piece in his hand, seemingly still pondering the game, his words flowing slowly and deliberately.

“Now that old man Yan hasn’t been scolded and kicked out of the manor by the lord, I know things have changed and you will definitely come looking for me.”

"The strategist's plan is brilliant!"

Yuan and Li knew this was not the time to deceive, so they told the whole story.

Yang Hong listened intently, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper. Several bronze bells adorned his cuffs, jingling as he rubbed the chess pieces with his fingertips.

You are all so confused!
If it weren't for our lord's exceptional wisdom, this vast empire would have been reduced to ashes, like oil poured on a raging fire.

Yuan Yin and Li Feng felt wronged for a while. What happened? They had just been scolded by their lord for being traitors and spreading rumors, and when they came to the strategist for advice, they were scolded again.

"Strategist, what has become of our lord?"

Knowing they hadn't finished speaking, Yang Hong used his hairpin to stir the incense ash and wrote on the table:

[Outwardly ostensibly loyal to the emperor, but inwardly harboring extraordinary ambitions!]

The handwriting was messy, a splash of tea made the writing fragmented and disjointed.

"Do you understand?"

A smile played on his lips. "Perhaps the Imperial Seal truly has a destiny? For many years, my lord has been remarkably clear-headed."

The two men seemed to understand something, thanked him, and left. However, Li Feng suddenly mentioned that Yuan Shu had asked him to prepare five hundred axemen.

Yang Hong's expression changed drastically. "Tonight? I heard that our lord is going to host a banquet for Sun Ce."
Oh no! My lord is taking a dangerous gamble! Although Sun Ce has great ambitions, he has no troops and it will be difficult for him to succeed. Why is he going to such lengths?

"Very well, Li Feng, tonight you must summon Ji Ling and make sure he stays close to our lord, in case of any unforeseen circumstances."

Upon hearing this, Li Feng also became nervous. Before he could ask any more questions, he had already seen the guest out.

As snowflakes fell, the courtyard fell silent. Yang Hong sat alone behind the curtain, gazing at the prophecy on the bamboo slip in the corner: "The one who will replace the Han is Tu Gao," and murmured to himself.

"The crows cry thrice, but the time is not yet ripe."

As dusk fell and the night deepened, the lanterns of Shouchun Palace hung high in the sky.

"General, please lay down your sword!"

Sun Ce paused slightly, stopping in his tracks.

Logically speaking, it would be reasonable for him to hand over his weapons when attending a banquet at the lord's mansion, but the conversation outside the city during the day made him uneasy.

It's unclear whether Yuan Shu was genuinely trying to help him save his mother or had become suspicious of him.

Just as he was hesitating, General Yang Wei and Li Feng came out to greet him, "General Bofu, you've arrived! Our lord has been waiting for you for a long time."

"Come in quickly. The lord has ordered that you need not be overly formal with him."

Although he didn't know how he and Yuan Shu had ever been so close, it was always a good thing that he didn't have to remove his sword. He thanked Li Feng and, with his hand on his sword, went inside.

"Bo Fu has arrived!"

Seeing Yuan Shu stroking the table and laughing, Sun Ce stepped forward and bowed respectfully: "Ce greets Your Excellency."

"No need for formalities, come, sit down and have a drink."

There were only two tables set up inside the hall. Yuan Shu sat high on the jade steps, while Sun Ce sat below him in the main hall. After several rounds of drinks, seeing that Yuan Shu only kept urging him to drink and didn't mention any important matters, Sun Ce finally couldn't hold back any longer.

"My lord, what is the important matter you summoned me to discuss?"

"Naturally, it's for this thing."

The flickering candlelight in the hall cast a cold, eerie glow on the jade seal in Yuan Shu's hand.

"What do you mean, my lord? I have already presented this item to you."

Despite his suspicions, Sun Ce remained wary upon seeing Yuan Shu produce the imperial seal, unsure of his intentions and feeling even more uneasy.

"What did Bo Fu say?"
This imperial seal was obtained by your father, Sun Jian, at the cost of his life. I am only worried that you are still young and might not be able to handle it, so I am temporarily keeping it for you. In the end, this imperial seal still belongs to your Sun family.”

Does the imperial seal belong to the Sun family?

Sun Ce was startled and gasped. "Your reputation is too great. My Sun family cannot afford to accept it."

"You jest, sir. Since it has already been presented to you, there is no reason for it to be kept safe."

However, Yuan Shu didn't wait for him to finish speaking and pretended to be friendly.

"Wentai and I are kindred spirits, like brothers. How could we bully an orphan and a widow and forcibly take your imperial seal?"

Sun Ce could never have imagined that the imperial seal he had handed over to Yuan Shu would one day be used to force the title back to him!
So, you're keeping the imperial seal in your hand every day, and if word gets out, it'll be attributed to my Sun family?

Yuan Gonglu, you've really messed with me!

"The Imperial Seal is ordained by Heaven, and I have no complaints. I imagine my father in heaven would be pleased. Please do not refuse any further, my lord!"

Seeing his insistence, Yuan Shu remained silent, his gaze sweeping over Sun Ce with an inscrutable expression before he suddenly smiled.

I often sigh and say: If I had a son like Sun Lang, what would I regret even in death?

"Why do you say that, my lord?"

Yuan Shu did not answer, but looked down at him indifferently, his voice high above, like a thunderclap in his ear!

"I wish to adopt you as my son. I wonder if you, Bofu, would be willing?"

Sun Ce's expression changed drastically!

You brat, how dare you insult me?
He placed his hand on his sword, and the barely harmonious atmosphere between the two was almost on the verge of exploding with tension!
But at that moment, Sun Ce faintly heard the sound of metal clashing between swords and axes.

Startled, just then, the candlelight in the corner of the hall burst open with a crackling sound.

In the fleeting light, he seemed to glimpse shadowy figures behind the screen, with arrowheads gleaming with a cold, silvery light pointed at him through the gaps.

Suddenly realizing this, he calmly raised his wine cup and took a sip. In the silent hall, the sound of his swallowing seemed to be accompanied by the tense, heavy breathing of hundreds of people.

"What? Bo Fu, are you unwilling?"

Upon hearing the sound, Sun Ce looked over and saw that Ji Ling and Li Feng had appeared beside Yuan Shu at some point.

This extinguished the last vestige of resistance in his heart. These two men might not be as skilled as him, but they could hold him off for a while.

But he was only human, and in no time he would be riddled with arrows like his father and die with resentment.

Thinking of his grand ambitions, his mother and siblings at home, and the elders of Jiangdong, Sun Ce almost gritted his teeth and swallowed his bitterness. The wine in his mouth was spicy, but he could not overcome the bitterness in his heart.

He drank the cup to the brim, then threw the wine vessel to the ground and bowed deeply.

"I have no way to repay your great kindness, Your Excellency. Now that I have been so fortunate to receive your favor, I wish to become your godfather!"

"I have Bo Fu, truly a gift from heaven!"
If I were to pass the imperial seal to you in the future, it would fulfill my loyalty to Wentai.

His gaze was deep and meaningful as he murmured to Ce:

"Your youngest son is often ill; you should encourage him."

(End of this chapter)