Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Seeing Yan Xiang turning to leave, Kuai Yue was extremely anxious. He quickly stepped forward, grabbed Yan Xiang's sleeve, and with a smile on his face, he said kindly, "Mr. Yan Xiang, please calm down and don't be so impatient. Today's matter was indeed due to our inconsiderateness and many offenses. Please forgive us."

Yan Xiang shook his sleeves vigorously, trying to break free from Kuai Yue's grasp. His face was filled with displeasure, and he continued to speak unyieldingly, "As an envoy sent by General Yuan Shu, I have been treated with disrespect since my arrival in Jingzhou. My personal honor and disgrace are minor matters, but my master's reputation is a major concern! At first, I saw your attitude was good, so I patiently came to talk with you. I didn't expect you to insist on taking in Liu Yao. It's clear that you are determined to oppose my master. In that case, what is there to discuss?"

Kuai Yue still held onto Yan Xiang tightly, and said calmly, "Sir, you've misunderstood. My lord took Liu Yao in out of kindness and righteousness, and it was absolutely not his intention to oppose General Yuan Shu. You also know that my lord is a relative of the Han Dynasty, and Liu Yao is also of Han blood. It's only natural for him to lend a hand when he's in trouble. If my lord had turned a blind eye to this, I'm afraid he would be criticized by the world."

Seeing Yan Xiang's expression soften slightly, Kuai Yue continued, "Furthermore, sir, you are aware of the current situation in the world. The princes are divided and wars are frequent. My Jingzhou and General Yuan Shu's territories are adjacent. We should support each other and work together for the great cause. If we let rifts arise because of Liu Yao, wouldn't that give others an opportunity to take advantage? My master has always been a man of great principles and would not want to see such a situation happen."

Kuai Liang chimed in, "Mr. Yan Xiang, we have absolutely no intention of offending General Yuan Shu. My master has already ordered that Liu Yao be disciplined and will not be allowed to do anything detrimental to General Yuan Shu. I hope you can convey our sincerity to General Yuan Shu and give my master a chance to make amends for this mistake."

Although Cai Mao felt resentful, he also understood the seriousness of the matter. He suppressed his anger and clasped his fists, saying, "Mr. Yan Xiang, I was impulsive in my words just now and have offended you greatly. I beg you to be magnanimous and not hold it against me. No one in Jingzhou has any intention of becoming an enemy of General Yuan Shu."

Yan Xiang's eyes swept over everyone's faces, pondering their words in his heart. After a moment's silence, he slowly said, "I hope what you say is true. I can tell my master about your attitude, but whether my master can forgive you will depend on your future behavior. If you do anything that displeases my master again, don't blame my master for being rude."

Upon hearing this, Kuai Yue and the others felt relieved and quickly said, "Don't worry, sir. We will definitely do what we say. We hope you can say a few good words for us in front of General Yuan Shu." Yan Xiang nodded slightly, then gave up insisting on leaving and sat down again.

Liu Biao breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself: This Yan Xiang is indeed as powerful as the rumors say, worthy of being Yuan Shu's advisor. This time, Yuan Shu sent him to negotiate, which shows that he attaches great importance to Liu Yao's matter. This old guy is really not easy to deal with. Although Liu Biao was a little uneasy, he still forced himself to be alert. He looked at Yan Xiang with a serious face and said:

"Mr. Yan Xiang, I, Liu Jingsheng, will be honest with you today. I have always had my own bottom line in dealing with people. Liu Yao has come to me in poverty and destitution. We are both relatives of the Han Dynasty. Since I have accepted him, I will not give him up easily. I am not afraid of your master being upset. I took him in only because of our common kinship."

Liu Biao paused, then looked Yan Xiang in the eye with a determined gaze before continuing, "If your master can't understand and insists that I hand over Liu Yao, causing me to lose face in front of the world, then I, Liu Jingsheng, will absolutely not do it! If it really comes to that, the worst that can happen is a fight! Everyone in Jingzhou is well-educated and well-mannered, so we won't easily start a war. But if you insist on using your power to bully others, then we in Jingzhou will not be easily bullied and will fight to the end!"

After hearing what Liu Biao said, Yan Xiang narrowed his eyes slightly, looked at Liu Biao with interest, and thought to himself: This Liu Biao is quite a man of integrity. It seems that we cannot be too tough in today's matter, otherwise things will really get out of hand, which will not be good for Yuan Gonglu.

Yan Xiang pondered for a moment, a faint smile on his face as he slowly spoke, "Liu Jingzhou is indeed a man of quick words. I, Yan Xiang, have seen this today. However, my lord, Yuan Shu, is extremely concerned about the matter of Liu Yao. If I cannot give him a satisfactory explanation, he will probably not let it go. Liu Jingzhou, why don't you and I discuss this further and find a compromise that will both satisfy my lord and preserve your reputation for taking in Liu Yao? What do you think?"

Liu Biao's heart trembled, and he thought to himself: This Yan Xiang is indeed a shrewd man, and it seems he is trying to ease the atmosphere and find a solution. He nodded slightly and said, "I would like to hear your opinion, sir. I hope you will be generous in your guidance."

Yan Xiang smiled faintly and said, "In my opinion, Liu Yao can remain in Jingzhou, but he must be guaranteed not to oppose my lord and not attempt to retake Yuzhang. At the same time, Jingzhou can offer my lord a generous gift as a token of sincerity. Then, perhaps my lord will show leniency and not pursue this matter further. Liu Jingzhou, what do you think?"

Liu Biao listened to Yan Xiang's proposal and carefully weighed its pros and cons. He felt that while it was somewhat unfair, it was a good solution, at least avoiding a direct conflict with Yuan Shu. He pondered for a moment and said, "I will consider your proposal, sir. However, I need to discuss the specific details with my staff. I hope you will give me some time."

Yan Xiang nodded and said, "Okay, I can give Liu Jingzhou some time. But I hope Liu Jingzhou can make a decision as soon as possible so that I can return to report to my master as soon as possible."

Liu Biao said, "Of course. Sir, you have come from afar, so please rest well in Jingzhou for a few days. I will inform you when I have come up with the result." After that, Liu Biao ordered his servants to arrange accommodation for Yan Xiang and others.

Yan Xiang, under Liu Biao's direction, was led downstairs by a servant to rest. After Yan Xiang left, the atmosphere in the reception room grew solemn once again. Liu Biao frowned, pacing back and forth, pondering Yan Xiang's demands. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that this matter was not so simple.

He stopped, looked at Kuai Liang and Kuai Yue, and said, "The conditions Yan Xiang proposed just now may seem like a compromise, but in reality, he must have some ulterior motive. He's just using this as a cover. I have a feeling Yuan Shu won't give up so easily. I'm afraid he has other plans."

Kuai Yue nodded slightly, a hint of worry in his eyes. He said, "My lord, you are absolutely right. Yan Xiang, Yuan Shu's advisor, is a man of deep thoughts. He must have come here with Yuan Shu's instructions. His offer of Liu Yao remaining in Jingzhou but not rebelling again, and Jingzhou offering gifts as a token of sincerity, might just be a test to see where our bottom line lies."

Kuai Liang also chimed in, "Yes, my lord. We can't easily agree to his conditions. We must first test Yuan Shu's intentions and find out his true intentions. Otherwise, if we rashly agree, we'll be in a passive position in the future."

Liu Biao nodded slightly and said seriously, "That's exactly the point. I order you two to find a way to test Yan Xiang's intentions and find out what Yuan Shu really wants. No matter what method you use, you must find out their bottom line and their true intentions."

Kuai Yue and Kuai Liang exchanged a glance, clasped their fists, and simultaneously replied, "Don't worry, lord. We will definitely fulfill our mission."

Afterwards, Kuai Yue and Kuai Liang began to discuss a specific strategy. Kuai Yue said, "Yan Xiang is a shrewd and calculating man. It won't be easy to get anything out of him. We need to come up with a comprehensive plan that will both lower his guard and allow us to get the information we want."

Kuai Liang pondered for a moment and said, "Why don't we host a banquet for Yan Xiang as a courtesy? During the banquet, under the influence of alcohol, we can ask him some indirect questions. At the same time, we can also arrange some people to secretly observe Yan Xiang's actions in Jingzhou to see if he has any contact with the aristocratic families within Jingzhou."

Kuai Yue's eyes lit up, and he nodded, saying, "This is a brilliant plan. Let's do this. First, prepare a sumptuous banquet to entertain Yan Xiang. During the banquet, I will conduct the main questioning, and you will assist from the side, and try to extract some useful information from him."

After the discussion was complete, Kuai Liang and Kuai Yue immediately set to work making arrangements. Once everything was ready, they headed to Yan Xiang's residence as hosts, inviting the freshly washed and refreshed Yan Xiang to a banquet. Yan Xiang readily agreed and followed the two to the banquet.

The banquet was held in an elegant courtyard of the City Lord's Mansion. The lights were on, the aroma of wine filled the air, and the tables were filled with delicious delicacies. After the guests and hosts took their seats, Kuai Yue was the first to raise his glass and said with a smile, "Mr. Yan Xiang has come a long way and must have traveled a long way. This glass of wine is just to welcome you back." Yan Xiang did not refuse, raised his glass in return, and drank it all in one gulp.

After three rounds of wine and five dishes, Kuai Yue began to subtly probe, saying, "Mr. Yan Xiang, the world is in constant turmoil, and my master has been deeply concerned. He wants to help the Han Dynasty, but he is also worried about friction with various forces. As for taking in Liu Yao this time, it is truly out of kindness and righteousness. I hope General Yuan Shu can understand."

Yan Xiang smiled faintly, a subtle glint in his eyes. He said, "My lord, General Yuan Shu, is a man of great righteousness. However, Liu Yao and my lord have had many conflicts in the past, and my lord is inevitably a little concerned. However, if Jingzhou can show sufficient sincerity, my lord is not in a position to show leniency."

Kuai Liang interjected, "I wonder what specific sincerity you are referring to? I hope you can clarify it so that my master can prepare."

Yan Xiang picked up his wine glass and took a sip. His eyes swept over the two of them, intentionally or not, and he slowly said, "The world is in chaos right now, and all factions are worried about food and fodder. My lord, General Yuan Shu, has been engaged in numerous campaigns, and his food and fodder have been greatly depleted. If Jingzhou can show some progress in this regard, I believe my lord will be satisfied."

Kuai Liang and Kuai Yue exchanged a glance, their minds suddenly understanding. Yan Xiang had been unconsciously steering the conversation towards food and fodder, and Yuan Shu had most likely sent him here to secure food and fodder from Jingzhou as a condition for Liu Yao's stay.

Kuai Yue pondered this inwardly, but remained expressionless. He smiled and said, "Sir, you are absolutely right. Food and fodder are indeed crucial right now. While Jingzhou has some reserves, they are not abundant. However, to show my lord's sincerity, we will do our best. I only hope you can put in a few kind words for General Yuan Shu so that my lord can adopt a more appropriate approach."

Yan Xiang nodded with satisfaction and said, "Of course. As long as Jingzhou is sincere enough, I will report the matter to my lord truthfully and strive to ensure a satisfactory conclusion to this matter."

At the banquet that followed, everyone continued to discuss trivial matters, and the atmosphere was harmonious. However, Kuai Liang and Kuai Yue knew in their hearts that this banquet had yielded a lot of benefits, and they had roughly figured out Yuan Shu's intentions.