Chương 324: Dong Zhuo Rewards Yuan Shao

"Secondly, Chenliu holds great righteousness and can seize control of the discourse throughout the land!" Xu You's voice grew even stronger.

"Chenliu is located in the heart of the Central Plains, bordering Chenggao to the west and facing Hulao Pass across Xingyang. It is the front line in the Guandong region against Dong Zhuo! If our lord were to raise his voice here and raise an army to punish Dong Zhuo, which of the warlords in the land would dare disobey?"

His voice grew louder and louder: "Our lord shall rightfully be the leader of the allied forces, commanding the world! Compared to being proclaimed leader in name only across the Yellow River in Ji Province, this is the place where our lord can truly realize the prestige of a family that has held high office for four generations! Heroes from all over the world will flock to Chenliu because of our lord's righteousness!"

The candlelight illuminated Yuan Shao's face, and his tightly furrowed brows finally began to relax.

What he ever wanted was a small, isolated territory.

What he wanted was the world, the power to command the heroes, and the righteous name of eliminating Dong Zhuo and restoring the Han Dynasty!

"Thirdly, Chenliu has a solid foundation, enough to support your great cause, my lord!" Xu You added finally.

"Chenliu is the largest prefecture in Yanzhou, with a population of over 800, 000, ample food supplies, and abundant manpower! Once you arrive in Chenliu, with Zhang Miao's territory and the support of various warlords in Yanzhou, you can raise tens of thousands of troops within a month! This starting foundation is a hundred times stronger than that remote little prefecture of Bohai!"

After he finished speaking, the room fell silent.

Feng Ji immediately bowed and echoed, "Ziyuan's words are absolutely brilliant! Chenliu is a place that can be attacked or defended, it has connections, a strong sense of righteousness, and abundant resources. It is indeed the only optimal solution for our lord besides Jizhou!"

Guo Tu also came to his senses and bowed, saying, "Your subordinate knows his mistake; I was short-sighted just now. Chenliu is indeed more suitable for your great cause than Jizhou, allowing you to control the overall situation without having to rely on others!"

Chunyu Qiong rose to his feet, sword in hand, and proclaimed loudly, "My lord! Go to Chenliu! This humble general is willing to be the vanguard and deliver a message to Lord Zhang, asking him to open the city gates and welcome us!"

Yuan Shao looked at the two characters "Chenliu" on the map on the table, then glanced at his confidants in the room. The anxiety and resentment that had been building up in his chest all the way finally transformed into a soaring heroic spirit.

He suddenly stood up, and the sword at his waist was drawn with a clang, slamming it down on the table.

"Snap!"

Wood chips flew everywhere, and the table snapped in two with a crack.

"Alright! Let's go to Chenliu!"

His voice was calm and resolute, carrying an undeniable air of a ruthless leader, his eyes gleaming with ambition and sharpness: "Dong Zhuo wreaked havoc on the court, deposing and installing emperors. I, Yuan Shao, will raise an army in Chenliu, unite the warlords of the land, purge the court of corrupt officials, and punish the traitors! This empire is not for Dong Zhongying to decide!"

"promise!"

Everyone in the room bowed in unison, their voices shaking the roof tiles.

After daybreak, the group that had escaped from Luoyang did not head north to Jizhou, but instead turned their horses around and galloped southeast towards Chenliu County.

Horse hooves shattered the morning frost, splashing mud onto the withered grass by the roadside.

Yuan Shao glanced back in the direction of Luoyang, a cold smile playing on his lips: Dong Zhuo, you just wait.

I, Yuan Benchu, will return.

...

When the news reached Luoyang, Dong Zhuo nearly ripped the roof off the Prime Minister's residence.

"What? That bastard Yuan Shao went to Chenliu? And he's even hooked up with Zhang Miao!"

Dong Zhuo slammed his hand on the table, making the teacup jump and spill tea all over the table.

"Send out the order! A reward of a thousand gold pieces and the title of Marquis of Ten Thousand Households are offered for the capture of Yuan Shao! I want him alive or dead! I want the world to see the consequences of defying me, Dong Zhuo!"

The officials below the hall all lowered their heads, looking down at their noses and their minds, none daring to speak.

Everyone knows that the Yuan family of Runan produced three high-ranking officials for four generations, and their disciples and former officials were all over the country.

Killing Yuan Shao is easy, but who will clean up the hornet's nest that was stirred up?

Only Zhou Bi, the Chamberlain, and Wu Qiong, the Commandant of the City Gate, exchanged a glance, stepped forward, and bowed to Dong Zhuo.

These two were the most trusted scholars of Dong Zhuo after he entered the capital.

Knowing that he was from Liangzhou and had no foundation in the court, Dong Zhuo began to win over famous scholars from all over the country after entering the capital. Zhou Bi and Wu Qiong were both recommended by him and were usually obedient to him.

"Prime Minister, please calm down." Zhou Bi's voice was calm and unhurried. He first followed up on Dong Zhuo's anger, saying, "Yuan Shao publicly defied the Prime Minister, showing no respect for hierarchy. His crime is indeed unforgivable. However, I believe that offering a reward for Yuan Shao's capture at this time will do more harm than good."

Dong Zhuo frowned, glaring at him with his fierce eyes, and said, "Oh? Tell me, what are the drawbacks?"

Wu Qiong, who was standing nearby, chimed in at the opportune moment. His tone remained respectful, but his words hit the nail on the head: "Prime Minister, Yuan Shao is merely a man who lacks a sense of the bigger picture. He was terrified by the matter of being deposed and installed as emperor, which is why he fled in panic. He has absolutely no intention of rebelling. However, if you push him too hard, you will only push him to the brink of despair."

He paused, looking at Dong Zhuo's expression, and continued, "Has the Prime Minister forgotten? The Yuan family of Runan, since Yuan An Gong, has produced five Grand Ministers in four generations, and has been favored by four generations. Their disciples and former officials are all over the prefectures and counties of the country. Half of the governors and prefects of Jizhou, Yanzhou, Yuzhou, Nanyang... these places in Guandong are disciples of the Yuan family."

He lowered his voice even further and said, "If Yuan Shao is pushed to the limit, he might raise his arms and rally heroes by leveraging the Yuan family's reputation. At that time, the vast lands east of the Xiao Mountains will probably no longer be under the Prime Minister's control."

The anger on Dong Zhuo's face gradually faded, replaced by a thoughtful expression.

He turned to look at Li Ru.

Li Ru nodded slightly.

Dong Zhuo knew better than anyone that when he entered the capital, he only brought more than 3, 000 Xiliang infantry and cavalry. Although he later merged with He Jin and He Miao's troops, incorporated the Bingzhou army, and controlled the imperial guards in Luoyang, his foundation was ultimately too shallow.

His influence was limited to Luoyang and the Guanzhong region; he had no say in the vast lands of Guandong.

What he wanted was to depose and install the emperor and take control of the court, not to start a war with the entire Kanto gentry in advance.

Seeing his wavering, Zhou Bi immediately added the most crucial sentence: "Moreover, Yuan Shao's uncle, Yuan Wei, is currently serving as Grand Tutor in the court, in charge of the Yuan family. Lord Yuan Wei is a high-ranking official with extremely high prestige in the court. If the Chancellor kills Yuan Shao, how could Lord Yuan Wei possibly let it go unpunished?"

He emphasized, "When the powerful families join forces against the Prime Minister in the court, and internal and external troubles erupt simultaneously, how will the Prime Minister respond?"

Dong Zhuo released his hand from the hilt of his sword, walked to the desk, and sat down again. His fingers tapped the table unconsciously as he rapidly calculated in his mind.

Killing Yuan Shao is easy.

But killing him would be tantamount to completely breaking ties with the entire Yuan family of Runan, and even with all the powerful families in the world.

With Yuan Kui in the imperial court and Yuan Shao in Guandong, working together from within and without, Luoyang, which I have just stabilized, will immediately descend into chaos.

He originally thought that Yuan Shao was just a spoiled brat who rose to power because of his family background, but after the two men said this, he was shocked to realize that behind this brat stood an entire intricate network of powerful families.