Chapter 48: Severing Ties with Yuan Shu! Seeking Imperial Edict to Punish Traitors
Yuan Shao remained unconscious throughout the entire night, driving everyone at the Yuan Manor to near frenzy as they vigilantly watched by his bedside.
After enduring this for so long, exhaustion had set in among them all.
Guo Tu and Xu You slumped over, asleep at their desks, while Shen Pei and Ju Shou occasionally nodded off but forced themselves awake.
Tian Feng stood guard beside Yuan Shao’s bed, despite his weary expression and bloodshot eyes, never once letting his vigilance waver.
The moment Yuan Shao opened his eyes, Tian Feng noticed instantly.
“My lord is awake! My lord is awake!” Overjoyed, Tian Feng swiftly turned to alert others in the room, “Quickly! Fetch the physician!”
Upon hearing Tian Feng’s call, sleepiness vanished from everyone’s faces as they gathered around, eagerly asking about Yuan Shao’s condition.
“My lord, how do you feel now? Any discomfort?”
“My lord, are you hungry? What would you like to eat?”
“Your humble servant was gravely worried; if anything were to happen to my lord, I would surely follow you!”
The barrage of questions only added to Yuan Shao’s agitation and dizziness, pushing him past his breaking point. “Enough!” he snapped. “All of you, shut up!”
Instantly, everyone fell silent.
Yuan Shao took a deep breath, sat upright, and turned to Ju Shou beside him. “How long was I unconscious?”
“My lord,” replied Ju Shou, “you have been unconscious for an entire night. The physician said it resulted from excessive anger affecting your heart, but there is no grave concern. However, you must avoid further agitation and focus on recuperating.”
Hearing this, Yuan Shao rubbed his temples, feeling a dull ache. Memories of the previous evening slowly surfaced in his mind.
Upon receiving the secret report about Yuan Shu declaring himself emperor, rage had overwhelmed him, causing him to wildly swing his sword. He killed the messenger and nearly injured Tian Feng before finally collapsing, darkness engulfing his vision.
“Emperor…” Recalling the incident, Yuan Shao’s expression darkened once more, accompanied by a sharp pain in his chest as his blood boiled uncontrollably. Unable to suppress it, he covered his mouth with a violent coughing fit.
Seeing this, Shen Pei hastily urged, “My lord, you must not let anger consume you! What’s done is done; getting upset will only harm your health. Please prioritize your well-being!”
Through gritted teeth, Yuan Shao responded, “That vile beast! I yearn to kill him with my own hands to quench my fury!”
“He has ruined our Yuan family’s century-old reputation! Cough cough—”
Yuan Shao had always known his brother was foolish, but he never imagined it would reach such depths! The audacity to declare himself Emperor! This betrayal stabbed directly into his heart.
Taking a deep breath, Yuan Shao finally commanded, “Send word immediately to sever all ties with Yuan Shu; we must not be implicated by his actions!”
“Additionally, request authorization from the Emperor for punitive action against this traitor!”
The grave mistake Yuan Shu committed could not be undone. Now, the entire realm awaited Yuan Shao’s response, and he needed to act swiftly. He couldn’t allow his own reputation to suffer further due to Yuan Shu’s folly!
At that moment, Tian Feng, who had remained silent until now, spoke up, “My lord, rest assured. I have already dispatched messengers last night to spread the news of our disassociation.”
“However, regarding requesting imperial authority to punish the traitor, I urge you to reconsider carefully. War affects everything, and despite your differences, you two are still brothers. Other regional lords eagerly anticipate seeing you engage in conflict…”
Before Tian Feng could finish, Yuan Shao angrily interrupted, “I have no such brother! That imbecile is a disgrace to the Yuan clan!”
“First, request authorization from the Emperor. Whether to wage war or not can be decided later!”
Requesting authority to punish the traitor demonstrated a stance, while actually waging war was another matter entirely.
Yuan Shao understood he needed to make his stance clear.
“Yes, my lord,” Tian Feng acquiesced reluctantly before turning and leaving the room.
After resting with his eyes closed for a moment, Yuan Shao asked Ju Shou, “How have the other lords reacted thus far?”
“My lord, shortly after Yuan Shu declared himself Emperor, Sun Ce announced his severance from Yuan Shu and renounced allegiance as his vassal,” Ju Shou replied. “Cao Cao sought imperial authorization to mobilize troops against Yuan Shu. The Emperor issued an edict commanding Zhang Xiu at Wancheng to march forth against the usurper, promising amnesty for Zhang Xiu’s uncle Zhang Ji’s crimes.”
“However, there has been no movement yet from Wancheng. Liu Biao, Liu Zhang, and Gongsun Zan remain similarly inactive.” Ju Shou briefly summarized the actions taken by each faction.
Upon hearing that Cao Cao had requested imperial authorization, Yuan Shao couldn’t help but sneer coldly, “Cao Mengde certainly knows how to play his cards! By having Zhang Xiu lead the attack, he gains reputation without risking a single soldier!”
He fully comprehended Cao Cao’s intentions—to use others’ hands to strike down Yuan Shu while gauging his strength. As for the other factions, they were all waiting to see how these two major players would react.
After all, both claimed to support the Emperor, making Yuan Shu, who declared himself Emperor, their greatest enemy!
Cao Cao had acted swiftly, while Yuan Shao received the news belatedly and thus couldn’t respond in time. Moreover, being Yuan Shu’s elder brother, his reputation would likely suffer from now on.
At this thought, Yuan Shao felt a dull ache in his chest again, prompting him to quickly shift his attention elsewhere. “How is Liu Bei faring? Has he captured Pei County yet?”
It had been one and a half months since their agreement, and by now, Liu Bei should have led his forces near Xiaopei. The current state of the battle remained uncertain.
Feng Ji reported, “My lord, it has been three days since the fighting began, but Pei County remains unconquered. However, Liu Bei’s troops have suffered heavy losses. There are still seven days left before the ten-day deadline expires.”
“Hmph, useless fool,” Yuan Shao scoffed dismissively. He never believed that Liu Bei could capture Pei County with just five thousand soldiers. Now, he eagerly awaited Liu Bei’s failure so Wen Chou and Yan Liang could lead their formidable army to seize the city.
With this thought, Yuan Shao’s mood finally improved slightly, relieved that not all news was bad.
After briefing Ju Shou and others on various arrangements, exhaustion washed over Yuan Shao as he prepared to rest further. Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed outside, and moments later, two elegantly dressed young men burst into the room.
These two were Yuan Shao’s sons—Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang!
The two brothers had been stationed in other cities and rushed back upon hearing their father, Yuan Shao, was unconscious, arriving now covered in dust from their haste.
“Father! What happened?!” Shocked by Yuan Shao’s frail appearance, Yuan Shang pushed past his elder brother, swiftly reaching the bedside.
A hint of displeasure flashed across Yuan Xi’s face but quickly vanished as he suppressed it, approaching with genuine concern.
“There’s no need to worry, Xianfu; your father is fine.” Yuan Shao gently stroked Yuan Shang’s head, filled with affection and indulgence.
He had always doted on this younger son. Seeing Yuan Shang hurriedly return to check on him, Yuan Shao felt deeply moved and gratified. His love for this child had not been misplaced after all.
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