Chapter 150: Political Marriage

Shen Chen was currently on his way back to Nanyang.

He had to win over Zhang Xiu; only by doing so could he ensure the smooth execution of his plan.

In truth, his way of looking at things was often quite simple.

As a new-generation youth inspired by great historical figures, his eyes were fixed solely on the suffering common folk at the bottom of the Han Dynasty.

In an era where social classes were rigid and the aristocratic families held monopolies on both land and political voice, achieving anything substantial for the people demanded unimaginable effort and cost.

Sun Ce slaughtered the gentry of Jiangdong, which ultimately resulted in Sun Quan being forced to compromise with those very same families after his death, and Sun Quan would go on to slaughter many more in his middle and later years.

As for Cao Wei, it chose to integrate with the gentry through the Nine-Rank Zhongzheng System, but how miserable were the people living under their rule?

In the end, the Three Kingdoms returned to the Jin Dynasty, only to be followed by the chaos of the Five Barbarians—was this not the direct result of the gentry holding power, the upper classes scrambling for personal gain, and the lower classes struggling desperately for survival, allowing the nomadic tribes to reap the spoils?

Therefore, he chose to cooperate with Liu Bei. Just as Xun Yu cooperated with Cao Cao under the banner of restoring the Han Dynasty to successfully seize political power, Shen Chen needed this banner to implement his future plans of weakening the gentry and bestowing benefits upon the masses.

The primary difference between Shen Chen and Xun Yu was that Xun Yu cared only for the dominion of the House of Han, whereas Shen Chen cared for the ordinary Han people across the realm, and he was determined never to repeat the tragedy of the Five Barbarians.

In the end, Xun Yu lost his gamble and chose suicide, feeling he had failed the ancestors of the Han.

Now, Shen Chen was also placing a gamble.

If he helped Liu Bei conquer the realm in the future, and Liu Bei betrayed his own class origins—transforming from a commoner into an emperor and refusing to cooperate with him to suppress the aristocratic clans, carry out land reform, and help the impoverished peasantry secure land—then Shen Chen would naturally have lost his gamble.

Perhaps by that time, Xun Yu would have felt vindicated, for though Xun Yu misjudged Cao Cao, Liu Bei still sustained the Han Dynasty; as long as the realm remained Han, Xun Yu could rest in peace.

Only Shen Chen would be left with no choice but to bear the shame of failing the masses and end his life by his own hand.

Yet he would still choose to make this gamble. Looking across the history of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Bei was practically the only warlord who treated the common people with benevolence. Since Shen Chen lacked the capacity to stand alone, he had no choice but to cooperate with Liu Bei and wager on the future of the common folk.

If he lost the gamble, Shen Chen would commit suicide.

If he won, he would work alongside Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang to learn from the great figures of history, diligently reform the country, and strive to guide the Han Dynasty peacefully toward a bright future!

This was his ideal.

Perhaps it sounded naive.

Yet did not the founding leaders of the new era in later generations hold fast to such idealistic worlds, translate them into action, and ultimately succeed?

Moreover, even setting aside the common people, simply to prevent the Han realm from plunging into the catastrophic misery of the Five Barbarians, he could never join the muddy quagmire of Cao Wei, surrounded by parasites who fought only for family interests.

Cao Cao himself was the classic example of a dragon-slaying youth who eventually turned into a dragon: in his early years he sought to restore the Han, but in his later years he paved the way for Cao Pi to usurp the throne. Though it seemed he left a final shred of dignity for the Han, he was ultimately not a worthy master.

Thus, Shen Chen had to fight desperately for his idealism.

As for Liu Bei's personal flaws, he would find ways to address them and prevent him from becoming too extreme.

At least for now, no matter how brilliant and resourceful Cao Cao might be, the sight of innocent corpses blanketing Xuzhou made it utterly impossible for Shen Chen to entertain the thought of aiding him.

On the morning of July 29th, Shen Chen and dozens of armored guards on horseback arrived outside the walls of Rangcheng.

Traffic flowed like a stream and travelers drifted like clouds both inside and outside the city. Situated to the west of Nanyang and close to Wuguan, Rangcheng had received a massive influx of refugees migrating from Guanzhong.

Ever since Zhang Xiu arrived in Rangcheng, he had peacefully settled down to act as the city lord, abandoning Wancheng altogether.

After all, he harbored a deep grudge against Cao Cao. Although Cao Cao was currently fighting Yuan Shao at Guandu and desperately trying to win him over, Shen Chen's persuasion had caused him to hesitate. Ultimately, he chose to remain confined to Rangcheng and refuse to meddle in northern affairs.

Upon entering the city, Shen Chen immediately proceeded to the county magistrate's office to request an audience with Zhang Xiu.

Learning of Shen Chen's arrival, Zhang Xiu hastily summoned him inside.

Though Jia Xu frequently urged him to surrender to Cao Cao, Shen Chen's repeated marches to the gates of Xuchang, which had turned Cao Cao's rear flank upside down, made Zhang Xiu acutely aware that Cao Cao was not invincible.

Perhaps before long, Cao Cao would be destroyed by Yuan Shao.

Recently, Yuan Shao had also sent envoys to seek an alliance with him, and since he bore no grudge against Yuan Shao, Zhang Xiu had even considered turning to him.

However, Jia Xu wielded immense prestige among the Xiliang army. While Zhang Xiu commanded the troops, he could not ignore Jia Xu's counsel, so the matter had dragged on.

Now, hearing that Shen Chen had arrived, he naturally wished to hear his perspective.

Before long, Shen Chen was brought into the central hall to meet Zhang Xiu. Upon entering, Zhang Xiu opened his eyes wide, looked him up and down, and praised after a moment, "A'chen, you've changed drastically since your last military campaign."

His skin had darkened significantly, and his entire demeanor carried a much sharper, hardier edge. Having fought his way through multiple brushes with death, the battles of Yinchuan and Runan had been far more brutal than the earlier campaign in Nanyang; even Shen Chen himself had barely escaped destruction time and again.

Shen Chen said in a deep voice, "General, your discernment is sharp. My clashes with Cao's army were truly like quenching iron in fire, and they have benefited me immensely."

"I heard you marched right up to the gates of Xuchang several times?" Zhang Xiu asked.

Shen Chen replied, "Indeed. Cao Cao is not all that formidable after all—did the General not defeat him here in Nanyang? Now Yuan Shao is launching a massive southward offensive in the north. This is precisely the golden opportunity for us to march north, attack Cao Cao, and welcome the Emperor."

"Welcome the Emperor?" Zhang Xiu blurted out in shock, "You want to bring the Emperor to Nanyang?"

"This is a helpless necessity," Shen Chen said. "Ideally, we want Cao Cao and Yuan Shao to exhaust and destroy one another. But if Cao Cao is defeated, we must secure the Emperor, hoist the banner of righteousness, and cooperate with Governor Liu of Jingzhou to jointly resist Yuan Shao."

"Uh..." Zhang Xiu was filled with doubt and hesitation. Cao Cao was already extraordinarily difficult to deal with, let alone adding Yuan Shao to the equation.

Shen Chen continued, "General, chaos plagues the realm today, and warlords contend for supremacy. Those without grand ambitions will ultimately be controlled by others. Nanyang is no place for a prolonged stay; how can a great man content himself with sitting idly within city walls? If we do not uphold righteousness and ride the wind of opportunity, would we not be living in vain?"

Zhang Xiu asked, "What do you mean?"

Shen Chen proposed, "The General should lead troops north with me to Kunyang and bide our time. If Yuan Shao is defeated, we will attack Xuchang and prevent Cao Cao from consolidating the north. If Cao Cao is defeated, we will likewise attack Xuchang, bring the Emperor south to Jingzhou, and use the banner of righteousness to plot for the realm. As a veteran commander who has fought across battlefields, if you can render service to the Emperor, you may yet achieve great things."

"Hmm..." Zhang Xiu hesitated for a moment before saying, "I understand. A'chen, return for now. I will reorganize my troops and provisions and join you in Kunyang shortly."

"Many thanks, General!" Shen Chen was overjoyed, never expecting Zhang Xiu to be persuaded so easily. He bowed and said, "I shall return to Xinye to oversee the provisions, and I beg the General to come to Kunyang as soon as possible."

"Go ahead," Zhang Xiu nodded. He stood up, escorted Shen Chen all the way to the threshold, and then walked back into the hall with his hands clasped behind his back.

Marching north to welcome the Emperor?

Such a perilous notion, yet he could say it with a straight face.

Zhang Xiu pondered in his heart.

Welcoming the Emperor was out of the question; his heart was entirely set on surrendering to Yuan Shao.

Although Cao Cao was also trying to win him over, Shen Chen was right about one thing—people only courted you when they needed you.

If he truly defected to Cao Cao and helped him defeat Yuan Shao, what would happen if Cao Cao turned hostile and settled scores afterward? Wouldn't his entire family be doomed?

Therefore, for the sake of safety, Zhang Xiu could never surrender to Cao Cao. At the same time, Yuan Shao was currently powerful and showed signs of swallowing the Central Plains. When the time came, most of the realm would belong to Yuan Shao, making an alliance with him the most profitable choice.

And the reason Zhang Xiu agreed to Shen Chen's northward march was simple.

Upon reaching Kunyang, if news arrived from the front lines that Cao Cao had suffered a crushing defeat, he would immediately join forces with Shen Chen to attack Xuchang.

Commanding cavalry, he could capture Xuchang and seize the Emperor and his officials, scoring a monumental contribution under Yuan Shao. With such a massive achievement, wasn't that far better than dragging the Emperor all the way to Nanyang and exhausting oneself fighting Yuan Shao to the death?

More importantly, in the unlikely event that Yuan Shao was defeated, he would still be able to do as Shen Chen suggested—strike Xuchang to prevent Cao Cao from pursuing Yuan Shao, thereby seizing the entire north.

Otherwise, as someone with a deep-seated blood feud against Cao Cao, once Cao Cao gained the upper hand while Zhang Xiu remained trapped in Nanyang, wouldn't that spell certain death?

Thus, whether it was to betray Shen Chen, stab him in the back when Yuan Shao won, and hand Liu Ge over to Yuan Shao, or to prevent Cao Cao from securing the Hebei region, he had to march north to Kunyang and unite with him.

Ultimately, Zhang Xiu possessed no lofty ideological awareness of restoring the Han Dynasty. He cared only for his own interests; lacking the capability to stand alone, he had no choice but to latch onto Yuan Shao's coattails.

What Zhang Xiu did not know, however, was that at that very moment, a northern visitor had also arrived at Jia Xu's residence.

This man was named Wang Bi, serving as the Chief Clerk to the Excellency of Works, Cao Cao. When Cao Cao captured Lü Bu, Cao Cao had initially intended to spare and recruit him; aside from Liu Bei's infamous remark, Wang Bi had played a pivotal role in persuading Cao Cao to have Lü Bu hanged.

Historically, when Cao Cao became the King of Wei and established his own court in Yecheng, shifting his political center northward, he left Wang Bi behind to keep watch over Liu Liu. This demonstrated that Wang Bi was a trusted confidant of Cao Cao, entrusted with executing covert and dirty tasks behind the scenes.

His arrival in Nanyang now was naturally for the purpose of persuading Zhang Xiu.

Wang Bi and Jia Xu sat facing each other in the hall. Wang Bi said to Jia Xu, "His Excellency is currently at Guandu, locked in a stalemate with Yuan Shao. The Yuan army has come from afar and cannot sustain a protracted campaign. Moreover, His Excellency holds the Emperor to command the realm, drawing heroes from all directions to his banner. The lands of Xuzhou and Qingzhou eagerly respond to Cao Gong's call; how could Yuan Shao avoid defeat? You are a man of insight, Sir, and you must not allow General Zhang to stray down the wrong path."

Jia Xu sighed, "Yuan Shao cannot even tolerate his own brothers, let alone a man of extraordinary talent. I am well aware that Cao Gong possesses the magnanimity to tolerate others, as well as the ambitions of an overlord, and will undoubtedly dominate the north. Yet General Zhang killed Cao Gong's eldest son and his most trusted general, and he fears Cao Gong's eventual reckoning; hence he refuses to submit. I have tried advising him repeatedly, but to no avail."

Wang Bi smiled and said, "You need not worry, Sir. General Zhang's only concern is precisely this matter. Cao Gong sent me here this time specifically to untie this knot. The General has a son and a daughter of marriageable age. Are you aware, Sir, that apart from his eldest son Cao Ang, Cao Gong also has a legitimate eldest daughter and a legitimate second son, both born to Lady Liu and sharing the same mother as Cao Ang? If we arrange a marriage alliance between our families, would that not dispel the General's worries?"

Cao Cao's primary wife was Lady Ding. Because she was unable to bear children, Cao Cao took Lady Liu as a concubine. Lady Liu gave birth to two sons and a daughter: the eldest son Cao Ang, the second son Cao Shuo, and the eldest legitimate daughter Princess Qinghe—the same Princess Qinghe who was later married to Xiahou Mao and nearly plotted to murder her own husband.

The strategy proposed to Cao Cao by Guo Jia and Xun You was a marriage alliance. As it happened, Zhang Xiu's son and daughter were both in their late teens, roughly the same age as Cao Shuo and Princess Qinghe.

It must be remembered that both Cao Shuo and Princess Qinghe shared the same mother as Cao Ang. By intermarrying with the Zhang family, if Cao Cao ever decided to settle old scores in the future, he would have to factor in the well-being of his surviving children. To avenge a long-dead son at the cost of ruining the happiness of another son and daughter—he would clearly have to think twice.

Thus, this move was designed to alleviate Zhang Xiu's misgivings.

*My eldest son was killed by you, but I am marrying my eldest son's full brother and sister to your son and daughter. Surely this should set your mind at ease?*

The only person who weighed heavily on Cao Cao's conscience was Lady Ding.

Since Lady Liu had passed away early, Cao Ang, Cao Shuo, and Princess Qinghe had initially been raised by Lady Ding. Later, when Cao Ang died in battle, Lady Ding severed ties with Cao Cao and left him; over the past few years, Cao Shuo and Princess Qinghe had been raised by Lady Bian.

Yet the debt of maternal nurturing remained. Though Lady Ding had the deepest emotional bond with Cao Ang, she looked upon Cao Shuo and Princess Qinghe as her own children.

Now, though Cao Cao had caused the death of her beloved son, for the sake of his grand enterprise he was marrying the full siblings of Cao Ang off to the son and daughter of Zhang Xiu—uniting in marriage with the very man who killed his son. If Lady Ding were to find out, she would likely never forgive him for as long as she lived.

Yet he had run out of alternatives.

The situation at Guandu was perilous in the extreme, and Shen Chen and Liu Bei were eyeing Kunyang like tigers eyeing their prey. If he made no sacrifices, the Cao clan would likely be annihilated.

For this reason, Cao Cao had no choice but to adopt the advice of Guo Jia and Xun You and forge a marriage alliance with Zhang Xiu.

Upon learning of this development, Jia Xu was overjoyed and immediately said, "If that is the case, then General Zhang can certainly be persuaded. Chief Clerk, please accompany me to the General's residence at once."

"Then I thank you, Sir," Wang Bi said, bowing in gratitude. Jia Xu was a staunch advocate of surrendering to Cao Cao; had it not been for his assistance, Zhang Xiu would likely have thrown his lot in elsewhere long ago.

Jia Xu's contribution to this matter was immense, and he would likely receive heavy reuse from Cao Gong in the future. Consequently, Wang Bi held him in profound respect.

The two men immediately set off for Zhang Xiu's mansion.

At that moment, Zhang Xiu was still in his residence pondering how to deploy his troops. Hearing that Jia Xu had arrived, he thought to himself that things looked ominous—could it be that Jia Xu had learned of Shen Chen's visit and come to lecture him again?

However, Jia Xu wielded immense authority within the Xiliang army, and Zhang Xiu had no way to control him, so he had no choice but to let him in.

Before long, Jia Xu and Wang Bi entered the hall. Catching sight of Zhang Xiu, Jia Xu introduced him, "General, this is the envoy of Cao Gong, Chief Clerk Wang Bi."

"Bi pays his respects to the General," Wang Bi said, cupping his fists.

"Oh?" Zhang Xiu asked, surprised. "Cao Gong has sent another envoy?"

Wang Bi smiled, "Unlike before, Bi is here this time to offer congratulations to the General."

"Congratulations?" Zhang Xiu sneered. "I killed Dian Wei and Cao Ang; Cao Gong is itching to tear me apart with his bare hands. What is there to congratulate me about?"

Wang Bi replied, "The General must not believe malicious rumors. Cao Gong has always possessed the magnanimity to tolerate others; how could he let personal hatred override matters of state? This time, Cao Gong has sent me here precisely to offer his legitimate eldest daughter in marriage to the General's son, and likewise seeks the hand of the General's daughter for his legitimate son, thereby forging a bond of familial harmony through mutual marriage."

"Intermarriage?" Zhang Xiu was deeply startled. He never imagined Cao Cao would invest such a heavy stake just to win him over.

Jia Xu urged, "General, the children Cao Gong is offering this time are extraordinary—they are his legitimate son and legitimate eldest daughter, sharing the same mother as Cao Ang, not children born of concubines. This is sufficient proof of Cao Gong's sincerity. Moreover, this is precisely the height of the great war between Cao Gong and Yuan Shao. If the General aids him, you will achieve unprecedented merit, and with the bond of intermarriage between our families, once Cao Gong secures dominance, the General will undoubtedly be enfeoffed as a marquis and appointed a general."

"This..."

Zhang Xiu hesitated for only a brief moment before declaring, "Uncle's words are entirely correct! I am willing to submit to Cao Gong. However, just an hour before Uncle arrived, Shen Chen came demanding that I dispatch troops to help him ambush Xuchang. He hasn't been gone long, so it should still be possible to catch him. I will immediately send men to hunt him down."

"No!" Jia Xu stopped him.

"At present, Cao Gong is still tied down at Guandu and unable to send reinforcements. Meanwhile, Zhang Xian has already died, and Liu Biao is on the verge of subjugating southern Jingzhou; he will surely march north! Shen Chen does not yet know that the General has submitted. If we launch a sudden attack—even if we manage to kill him—Liu Bei is still stationed at Kunyang and will inevitably join forces with Liu Biao to attack the General."

Zhang Xian had fallen ill and died in June of that year, and Huan Jie had installed his son Zhang Yi in power to continue fighting Liu Biao. However, Zhang Xian had relied on personal prestige to hold together the forces of four commanderies, making it difficult for Liu Biao to conquer them, and Zhang Yi lacked that level of prestige.

Therefore, the moment Zhang Xian died, the morale of his army plummeted severely. Liu Biao had already pushed as far as Changsha and Wuling commanderies, with only Lingling and Guiyang remaining unconquered.

Judging by the current situation, Zhang Yi likely could not hold out much longer. Once Liu Biao freed up his hands, he would certainly seize the opportunity to launch an invasion northward.

At present, Liu Bei still controlled the exits of Nanyang. If Zhang Xiu wanted to march north, he had to pass through Yexian and Kunyang. If Shen Chen were killed in Nanyang, the resulting fallout would be catastrophic: Xinye and Xiangyang were close at hand, and Liu Bei was stationed at Yexian. They would find themselves caught in a pincers attack, ultimately either being wiped out or fleeing through Wuguan into Guanzhong.

No matter which angle one considered it from, this did not align with Cao Cao's interests. After all, Cao Cao was still bogged down at Guandu; if he failed to defeat Yuan Shao in time, and Liu Biao and Liu Bei eliminated Zhang Xiu, they would inevitably strike Xuchang from the rear.

Zhang Xiu asked, "Then what should we do?"

Jia Xu mused, "The General can play along with their game. First, lead the troops north to Kunyang. The moment Liu Bei, Shen Chen, and Cao Gong's forces clash, suddenly turn your weapons around and strike—you will undoubtedly annihilate them in one fell swoop!"

"Very well." Zhang Xiu nodded. Although he and Shen Chen had some past friendship, in the face of raw interests, personal ties meant nothing.

Without further hesitation, Zhang Xiu adopted Jia Xu's strategy. He immediately began mustering his troops to march north to Kunyang, while dispatching his own daughter with Wang Bi back to Xuchang, and instructing Wang Bi to escort Cao Cao's daughter back in return.

As long as the marriage ceremony between their children was completed, he would have taken a reassuring pill of certainty, allowing him to launch his betrayal safely from Kunyang.