East Sea Commandery, Xu Province.
Inside the Governor’s Office in Tan City.
“Borrow two million shi of grain?”
Tao Qian had also finished reading Zhang Jing’s letter.
He immediately flew into a rage.
“This Zhang Yuheng is truly speaking too boldly! Why doesn’t he just go and rob instead?”
“Cao Bao! Immediately assemble the troops!”
“Within days, we will march on Mount Tai. I refuse to believe it—a mere Yellow Turban bandit dares act so brazenly!”
“I want to see whether he can break into Xu Province faster, or whether I can first take Mount Tai!”
As an outsider, Tao Qian had managed to establish a foothold in Xu Province and maintain his authority without being completely sidelined—so he was naturally not without skill.
The letter Zhang Jing sent him, however, was different from the one sent to Yuan Shu.
For Yuan Shu, it was pure manipulation and flattery.
For Tao Qian, it was a direct show of dominance.
In simple terms: we are short on grain; you attacked us when we crossed the river before—if you don’t give grain, we will attack you.
Even the route of attack and strategy were written clearly.
It was essentially a blunt challenge: see if you can take the hit.
Tao Qian himself came from a powerful local clan in Danyang.
In his youth, he was favored by a governor, became his son-in-law, and rose rapidly through the ranks, even having military experience.
He was not a man of small courage.
His actions were decisive and swift.
Unfortunately, he was now somewhat old.
Even if he wanted to stir up trouble, it was no longer so easy.
Thus, Zhang Jing’s impression of him was: a weak but impulsive man who still likes to act tough.
Now, after being threatened like this, Tao Qian became furious—but in truth, he only planned to be angry for a moment.
“Please calm your anger, my lord!”
At this moment, the first-ranked official on the left, a young man in a blue brocade robe with a jade ornament at his waist, spoke up.
After the Yellow Turban forces of Qing Province swept through Yan Province and defeated Yuan Shu of Yu Province, they had gathered hundreds of thousands of people across four commanderies.
Their power was no longer that of ordinary bandits.
Moreover, they possessed siege weaponry.
If they were to be destroyed, it would require careful long-term planning.
The speaker was Mi Zhu, a wealthy merchant from Qu County in Donghai Commandery.
When Tao Qian took office in Xu Province, Mi Zhu had been appointed as Assistant of the Governor’s Office to help supply the army.
“Assistant Mi speaks wisely,” another elder quickly added.
This elder was Chen Gui, a true local power in Xu Province.
Coming from a top-tier aristocratic family, even Yuan Shu of the Four Dynasties and Three Excellencies treated him as an equal.
If Xu Province were attacked by the Yellow Turbans, there was no doubt Chen Gui would suffer the most.
After all, Tao Qian was an outsider—if things went badly, he could simply retreat back to Danyang.
But Chen Gui had nowhere to run.
“My lord,” Cao Bao said solemnly, “what exactly does Zhang Yuheng’s letter say?”
“Take it and read for yourselves.” Tao Qian had already anticipated their reactions.
Because of this, he had not been particularly eager to mobilize troops.
As for the grain demand from the Yellow Turbans, what did it have to do with him, Governor Tao?
If grain truly had to be provided, it would be the aristocratic families who would bleed for it.
If they refused, then war would come.
If he won, good.
If he lost, he would simply have his son retreat back to Danyang.
An old man like him—what did it matter if he died?
But if he personally backed down to the Yellow Turbans, his lifelong reputation would be ruined.
“Hm?” As Cao Bao read the letter, he felt a chill in his heart.
But when he reached the part where Zhang Jing claimed to have attacked Dong Commandery before, he almost couldn’t hold back his reaction.
“When did we ever attack Dong Commandery?”
“This Zhang Yuheng is blatantly lying with open eyes!”
After reading the letter, Mi Zhu, Chen Gui, and the others fell into silence.
A shadow seemed to settle over their minds.
After some discussion, they decided to both prepare for war and gather grain at the same time—taking things one step at a time.
When Zhang Jing’s letter reached Zang Ba, its tone changed again.
First, it established a friendly connection.
It claimed they were all leaders of outlaw forces, essentially brothers.
Now he was short on grain and needed help—so naturally they should show some goodwill.
Since the brother controlled the wealthy lands of Langya, he should at least lend thirty to fifty thousand shi.
Even three to five thousand shi would count as acknowledging him as a “brother.”
“Sun Guan!” After reading the letter, Zang Ba said firmly, “Prepare fifty thousand shi of grain and send it to the Qiuhuo Army brothers in Mount Tai.”
“Ah?!” The generals were stunned.
Sun Guan himself asked in confusion, “My lord, why?”
“Zhang Yuheng is asking for grain,” Zang Ba said casually.
“There are millions of people in Yan Province waiting for him to feed them.”
“Previously, the Qiuhuo Army raided Xu and Yu Provinces, but they never touched our Langya.”
“We owe them that favor.”
“A man who respects me one foot, I return him ten.”
“We don’t have much surplus grain, but fifty thousand shi is still manageable.”
“With the current power of the Qiuhuo Army, even if we cannot befriend them, we must not make them enemies. Do you understand?”
Zang Ba’s reasoning was very simple.
……………
Northern Sea Commandery, Qing Province.
In the Administrator’s Office of Duchang City.
Kong Rong looked at the letter in his hand, his eyes filled with surprise.
What surprised him was that this time, the tone of the Yellow Turban leader was unusually reasonable.
The entire letter contained no threats at all—only appeals to moral principles and the Way of the Sage.
Commonly known as: moral coercion.
As a descendant of Confucius, Kong Rong found himself particularly susceptible to this approach—and somewhat unable to resist it.
“Ziyi.”
After reading it, Kong Rong handed the letter to a tall, broad-shouldered man in light armor.
With a compassionate expression, he said:
“You should take a look as well. If you have no objections, then you will escort the grain to Yan Province.”
The man was named Taishi Ci.
A native of Donglai, born into a humble family.
He had already entered official service five years earlier, but due to a mishap while escorting important documents, he had fled to avoid implicating his family.
During those years, his elderly mother had been cared for by Kong Rong, and after returning, Taishi Ci remained by his side to repay the kindness.
However, Kong Rong was a bookish scholar.
After the collapse of the coalition against Dong Zhuo, he had no sense of urgency about the turbulent world.
Instead, he obediently served as a loyal official of the Han, leaving his domain with few soldiers and little military strength.
The previous year, when the Yellow Turbans rebelled, he had gone to suppress them—but was defeated by Zhang Rao and beaten back to Duchang.
Later, when Guan Hai besieged the city, he had no choice but to send Taishi Ci out to request reinforcements.
After the Yellow Turbans withdrew, Kong Rong still showed no intention of strengthening his military, and instead focused leisurely on governing the people.
Faced with such a benefactor, such a lord of the chaotic age, Taishi Ci felt deeply exhausted.
He wanted to rise to greatness, but Kong Rong gave him no opportunity, treating him only as a trusted bodyguard commander.
“My lord,” Taishi Ci said after reading the letter, frowning slightly.
“I am willing to escort the grain.”
“But Zhang Yuheng, though he calls himself the Qiuhuo Army, is still not recognized by the court.”
“If we deliver grain to him, how will the other warlords and the imperial court view us?”
— The end of the Chapter–
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