At the end of the Han Dynasty: a stingy husband from his hometown

Chapter 407 Brothers fighting
Shen Pei's act of drafting his own edict of succession and stamping it with the imperial seal did make Yuan Shang feel a little frightened at first.

After coming to his senses, Yuan Shang was overjoyed and secretly praised Shen Pei for his clever tactics.

The eunuchs and imperial doctors who served Yuan Shao have all been beheaded. Whether the edict of succession is true or false is up to them to decide.

Moreover, Yuan Shao was seriously ill, Yuan Tan and Yuan Xi were both leading troops outside, and only Yuan Shang, Yuan Shao's favorite son, stayed in Yecheng. His intention to pass on the throne was already very obvious.

The most important thing is that Yuan Shang’s foundation in the court is indeed quite deep. Not only did he have the support of Shen Pei, the pillar of the Jizhou faction, but he also received the support of Feng Ji, who was quite trusted by Yuan Shao.

With the great help of Shen Pei and Feng Ji, and the edict of succession, although Xin Pi, Zhong Yao and others felt that something was wrong, they did not dare to act rashly and had no choice but to accept Yuan Shang as the new emperor.

Yuan Shang ascended the throne and became emperor. He appointed Shen Pei as Grand Marshal, Feng Ji as Minister of Education, and Zhong Yao as Minister of War. He conferred titles on his ministers, issued a general amnesty, and summoned Yuan Tan and Yuan Xi back to Yecheng to attend Yuan Shao's funeral.

Xin Pi thought he had made great contributions to the country, but because he had always been close to Yuan Tan, he did not receive any reward. He felt resentful, so he quietly left the city when Yuan Shang was not prepared and fled to Qingzhou overnight.

Qingzhou, the governor's office.

When Yuan Tan, the governor of Qingzhou, looked at the imperial edict in his hand, his eyes became bloodshot and his face looked ferocious.

"In terms of family background, I am the eldest son; in terms of military achievements, no one can compare to me among the three brothers. Why is my father so partial to me that he actually passed the throne to that bastard Yuan Shang!"

No wonder Yuan Tan is so crazy.

As the eldest son with outstanding military achievements, Yuan Tan was the most qualified to inherit the throne and could also stabilize people's hearts. This was why Ju Shou strongly advocated that Yuan Shao pass the throne to Yuan Tan even though he knew that Yuan Tan had some shortcomings.

It’s a pity that Yuan Shao ultimately loved his third son, Yuan Shang, more.

In addition to being angry, Yuan Tan couldn't help but hesitate when he saw the imperial edict requiring him to return to Yecheng to attend the funeral.

In recent years, because of the fight for the throne, the relationship between Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang has become worse and worse. Now that Yuan Shang has ascended the throne, Yecheng is Yuan Shang's sphere of influence. If Yuan Tan returns to Yecheng, and the other party really has bad intentions, Yuan Tan will probably be unable to escape.

But if he did not return to Yecheng, he would be considered disloyal and unfilial. At that time, Yuan Shang would only need to issue a manifesto to punish the rebels, and Yuan Tan would surely become the target of public criticism.

Just when Yuan Tan was terrified and didn't know what to do, a personal guard suddenly came to report: "Sir, Xin Pi wants to see you!"

Yuan Tan stood up suddenly and said in a lost voice: "Isn't George in Yecheng? Why did he suddenly come to Qingzhou?"

After being surprised, Yuan Tan could not help but be overjoyed. He walked quickly outside and bowed from a distance, saying, "Sir, you have come from afar. Please don't blame me for not welcoming you in person!"

Xin Pi hurriedly returned the greeting, and was then pulled into the house by Yuan Tan's arm.

After the two sides sat down and exchanged greetings, Yuan Tan asked, "Sir, are you here to urge me to go to the capital?"

Xin Pi shook his head and said, "If the eldest son returns to Yecheng, his life will be in danger!"

Yuan Tan was shocked and asked hurriedly, "Why do you say that, sir?"

Xin Pi said sternly, "The eldest son is the eldest son of the previous emperor, and he has made great military achievements. It is reasonable for him to inherit the throne. Now Shen Pei and Feng Ji forged an imperial edict to establish Yuan Shang as emperor. They must have regarded the eldest son as a thorn in their side."

"This time Yuan Shang summoned the eldest son back to the capital to attend the funeral, which was a lie. The real intention was to take his life to prevent future troubles!"

After hearing what Xin Pi said, Yuan Tan was shocked and angry, and said in a lost voice: "Sir, are you saying that the emperor did not pass the throne to my third brother, and it was Shen Pei and Feng Ji who forged the imperial edict?"

Xin Pi sneered, "Although Shen Pei killed all the eunuchs and doctors of the late emperor, he did not dare to kill the late emperor's guards. I know someone familiar with the late emperor's guards, and I know that the late emperor vomited blood and died suddenly because of the sudden letter sent by the King of Chu. He had no time to draft an edict to pass on the throne."

"Otherwise, Zhong Yuanchang, Xun Youruo and I are all trusted confidants of the late emperor. How could he not summon us to witness such a major event?"

"That fellow Shen Pei must have been guilty of killing the late emperor's eunuchs and his imperial physicians!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Tan's previous depression was swept away and he even felt a little relieved.

Then, Yuan Tan gnashed his teeth and said, "How dare you do such a treasonous act? I will mobilize all the soldiers in Qingzhou to attack Yecheng and kill all the traitors!"

Xin Pi hurriedly advised: "Absolutely not!"

Yuan Tan looked at Xin Pi with some doubt and asked, "Since you knew that the edict of succession was a forgery, why couldn't you lead the troops into the capital to kill the rebels?"

Xin Pi smiled bitterly and said, "Although the eldest son has occupied Qingzhou, the third son has already succeeded to the throne and has taken the righteous cause. He also has the full support of Shen Pei, Feng Ji and others, and the civil and military officials of Jizhou are willing to be his minions. Qingzhou's troops, money, and generals are far inferior to those of Jizhou. The eldest son's raising an army to suppress the rebellion at this time is tantamount to hitting a rock with an egg!"

"For now, we should lay low and accumulate strength, and when the world changes, we can mobilize troops to suppress the rebellion."

Yuan Tan was hit hard, and he gave in and said, "Now Yuan Shang has summoned me back to Yecheng. Even if I don't raise an army, he will issue an imperial edict to accuse me of being disloyal and unfilial. How can I survive then?"

Xin Pi laughed several times and said, "Don't worry, young master. I have a plan that can keep you safe."

However, Yuan Shang succeeded to the throne and appointed many ministers. After learning that Xin Pi had resigned and fled to Qingzhou, he became a little uneasy, worried that Yuan Tan would raise an army to attack him. Seeing this, Feng Ji advised: "Your Majesty, don't worry. If the eldest son does not know the will of heaven and dares to rebel against the world, it will only lead to his death. At that time, Your Majesty only needs to issue an imperial edict to rebuke him, and the generals in Qingzhou will surely defect."

Yuan Shang sighed, "If it was just you, I wouldn't be afraid. But now Xin Pi is going to Qingzhou to help, I'm afraid something unexpected will happen!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Pei sneered and said, "Xin Pi is just a treacherous villain. Apart from flattery, what else can he do? Your Majesty, just rest assured. If the eldest son dares to rebel, I will lead the army to fight him!"

Yuan Shang was slightly relieved.

A few days later, an urgent document from Qingzhou was delivered. Yuan Shang hurriedly opened the document and saw that it said: Zhuge Liang heard that his father had passed away and let his troops ravage the border of Qingzhou. Although I want to return to Ye to mourn for my father, the foundation created by the late emperor cannot be destroyed by you. Since ancient times, it has been difficult to be both loyal and filial. Please ask your third brother to apologize to your father on your behalf. After you repel the invading enemy, you can return to Yecheng to apologize!

After reading the document, Yuan Shang was shocked and said, "Zhuge Liang actually led his troops to attack Qingzhou!"

Shen Pei and Feng Ji were both shocked when they heard this. After reading the contents of the document, Feng Ji immediately said, "This must be Xin Pi's plan. He used the fact that Zhuge Liang sent troops to attack Qingzhou as an excuse to give the eldest son an excuse not to return to Yecheng to attend the funeral."

"In this case, Your Majesty will have no reason to blame the eldest son for being disloyal and unfilial."

Shen Pei also nodded and said: "Given the style of the King of Chu, if he really prepares to march north, he will certainly be aggressive and use the whole country's strength to attack us, and will not give us any chance to breathe."

"Now there are no reports of war from other places, only the war from Qingzhou. This must be Xin Pi's plan."

Yuan Shang was furious when he heard this. He slammed the table and shouted, "How dare you lie about the war! How audacious!"

After his anger subsided, he stood up and shouted, "Yuan Tan disobeyed the imperial order. I want to raise an army to attack him. What do you think?"

Feng Ji hurriedly advised: "Absolutely not!"

"The emperor has just passed away, and the government is not stable. If we start a war at this time, it will not only be detrimental to the country, but will also make the second young master suspicious. I am afraid that Youzhou will also cede land and establish its own independence."

Yuan Shang asked, "If we don't attack him, are we just going to sit back and watch Yuan Tan occupy Qingzhou?"

Feng Ji said: "Your Majesty is in the right place. You can collect money, grain and troops from Qingzhou on the pretext of defending against Chu. If they refuse to hand them over, it means they are plotting rebellion. Then we can raise troops to suppress them and we will surely be unstoppable."

Yuan Shang asked, "What if Yuan Tan surrenders his money, grain, and troops?"

Feng Ji stroked his beard and smiled, "That's even simpler. Qingzhou is not as rich as Jizhou. If it continues to offer money, food, and troops to the court, Jizhou will become stronger and Qingzhou will become weaker. At that time, Your Majesty can send a trusted person to Qingzhou to supervise the army and share the military power. In this way, it won't take too long to capture Qingzhou without bloodshed!"

Yuan Shang was overjoyed, so he accepted Feng Ji's advice and asked Yuan Tan to offer a large number of soldiers, horses, money and food to Jizhou on the grounds of recruiting troops to guard against Qin and Chu.

After receiving the imperial edict, Yuan Tan was furious and said, "I have never raised an army to suppress the rebellion, but they are asking me for troops, money and food. How can this be possible?"

Yuan Tan was about to refuse, but he heard Xin Pi say, "The eldest son refused to return to Yecheng on the grounds that he dared not act rashly because of the harassment of the Chu army. The third son had no excuse to attack Qingzhou, so he pressed on."

"If the eldest son refuses, the court will have an excuse to accuse him of disrespecting the court and raising troops for his own benefit, and then take the initiative to send troops to attack."

Yuan Tan finally came to his senses and said helplessly, "Qingzhou's troops, horses, money and food are not as good as Jizhou's. If we offer troops, horses, money and food to Yecheng, it will be even more difficult to compete with them in the future."

Xin Pi smiled slightly and said, "It's easy to break this situation. Young Master, you can do this, this, this, that..."

Just when Yuan Shang learned that Yuan Tan had indeed offered troops, horses, money and food to Yecheng and thought he had Yuan Tan under control, these troops, horses, money and food were robbed by the remnants of the Black Mountain Army before they entered Jizhou.

"boom!"

How could Yuan Shang, who suddenly received this news, not know that this was Yuan Tan's trick?
It was just that Yuan Tan only did a good job on the surface. Even though Yuan Shang knew that the remnants of the Black Mountain Army were fake, he had no way to deal with Yuan Tan.

Shen Pei and Feng Ji also looked solemn when they received the news.

Shen Pei said in a deep voice: "I never thought that Xin Pi, that treacherous villain, would actually have such ability."

Yuan Shang looked at the two helplessly and asked, "What should we do now?"

Shen Pei said, "Since you can't find any evidence against the eldest son, Your Majesty might as well send me to Qingzhou to supervise the army. Didn't the eldest son say that Zhuge Liang is currently attacking the border of Qingzhou? Sending me to supervise the army at this time is a perfect opportunity!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shang hesitated and said, "You are my most trusted minister, how can you risk your life?"

Shen Pei said with a smile: "Judging from the eldest son's response, Qingzhou does not dare to openly disobey the order from His Majesty. I think there will be no major problems in Qingzhou!"

Yuan Shang pondered for a long time, and finally felt that only Shen Pei had sufficient status, ability, and reputation to go to Qingzhou to divide Yuan Tan's military power and instigate rebellion among Yuan Tan's civil and military officials.

He immediately said: "Since this is the case, I will draft an edict to appoint you as the military supervisor and lead two thousand elite cavalry to Qingzhou."

Shen Pei said, "Now is a time of trouble. Your Majesty and the safety of Yecheng should be the most important. I only need two hundred elite cavalry to accompany you."

(End of this chapter)