To Youzhou! The Bargain with the Ten Attendants

Heading to Youzhou! Jia Xu's proposal had successfully captured Yuan Shu's interest. For Jia Xu, this was nothing short of a massive triumph!

A nameless scholar from a backwater village in Xiliang—someone who'd only ever been dismissed as insignificant and worthless—had just secured a position serving under the legitimate heir of the Yuan family, the most prestigious clan in the empire, the Four Generations of Three Dukes. It was almost unbelievable.

Finally... an opportunity has come for me too...!

Yuan Shu had decided to act according to the strategy Jia Xu presented. And he entrusted the entire plan to her. This wasn't merely a test of her abilities. It was a clear signal that Yuan Shu was willing to trust her.

If she handled this properly, she could earn significant confidence from him. After all, Yuan Shu's current forces had no shortage of people who could swing a weapon, but almost no one who could truly use their head. That was precisely why Jia Xu wanted to impress him even more.

The reason she had originally been so obsessed with survival and navigating the treacherous political waters was because her position had always been precarious in the future she remembered. In short, she had no choice but to live that way.

She had served under Dong Zhuo—the man who would later be remembered as the greatest traitor of the Later Han. After that, she had worked under Li Jue and Guo Si, who tore the capital apart and behaved even more recklessly than Dong Zhuo in some ways. Then she had taken shelter with the Xiliang warlords who had once followed Dong Zhuo, before eventually serving in an official post under Cao Cao—the very man whose son she had caused to die through her schemes.

Her entire life had been one of desperate survival and careful maneuvering. How could her standing possibly have been secure when she kept lending her wisdom to people who deserved to be called traitors? Of course, Jia Xu's innate brilliance and political acumen played a huge part in those miraculous days of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠survival... but the bigger factor was that the situation itself had forced her to devote every ounce of her mind to self-preservation.

But the current Jia Xu had none of those shameful stains to weigh her down. Moreover, she was young. That was why, serving under Yuan Shu, she began to dream bigger than the man named Jia Xu from the original history ever had.

Since I was born with talent, shouldn't I live a life worthy of having at least one line written about me in the history books of later generations? I've been blessed with an incredibly good opportunity... I will serve this lord and let the world know that Jia Xu ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠exists!

It might seem like a rather modest ambition compared to her actual abilities, but that was simply the kind of person Jia Xu was. Someone whose dreams were a bit more realistic than her talents warranted—in other words, someone who dreamed small. Still, the important thing was that she had begun to harbor real ambition!

...Well, making those dreams come true while serving under Yuan Shu's force—which had a tendency to shatter common sense in all sorts of ways—wouldn't exactly be easy, but...

Anyway, still riding high on her swelling dreams, Jia Xu began preparing to strike a deal with the Ten Attendants using the full authority Yuan Shu had granted her. Since she had been the one to speak those words, she needed to resolve the matter properly if she wanted to show her new lord a good side of herself.

No one understood the importance of fastening the first button correctly better than the exceedingly sharp Jia Xu herself.

And so, a few days later, Jia Xu—armed with a solid "gift," or rather, a very generous bribe—confidently arranged a meeting with the Ten Attendants under Yuan Shu's name.

Normally, someone of Jia Xu's lowly position would have found it nearly impossible to secure a private audience with the Ten Attendants... but wasn't the phrase "borrowing a tiger's might" coined for exactly this kind of situation? The name of Yuan Shu standing behind her made the impossible possible.

Of course, that impressive gift had also been obtained through Yuan Shu's name... but that was precisely why she'd been given the job in the first place.

"Ohohoho~ We've had errand runners come bearing the Yuan family's name before, but I never imagined a lowly servant carrying that arrogant Yuan Shu's name would show up! How very interesting! Ufufu."

"I greet the great pillars who support the Han. I am Jia Xu, here on behalf of Lord Yuan Shu."

The voice that reached her was strangely androgynous—almost like that of a courtesan—thanks to the fact that the most essential part of a man had been cut away. Yet the tone itself didn't quite match that impression, creating an oddly unsettling sensation. And the fact that this voice belonged to an old eunuch only made it more bizarre. At first glance, it might even seem comical...

But Jia Xu was not foolish enough to think that way. No matter how ridiculous these people appeared, they stood at the very center of the Later Han and at the peak of all power. They were the ones who enjoyed the emperor's boundless favor, and using that as their foundation, they wielded authority so great that they could rightly be called second only to the emperor himself. They were the most powerful figures of this era.

Knowing all this, Jia Xu simply bowed her head with utmost politeness.

All power flowed from the emperor, which meant those who received his infinite favor were the greatest authorities of the age. Especially now, while carrying Yuan Shu's name, she needed to be even more careful with her conduct. Her every action would be seen as Yuan Shu's will. She could not afford to cause any trouble for the benefactor who had given her this opportunity.

"Indeed, our Ten Attendants and the Yuan family have maintained a rather amicable relationship, haven't we~? But I thought that Yuan Shu, being so young and full of hot-blooded vigor, had no desire to get close to us! Has he finally figured out who he should be friendly with and come bearing an answer? Hohohoho..."

It was the kind of voice that would send shivers down any normal person's spine. How should one describe it... an uncomfortable valley of discomfort, perhaps? The truth was that their voices—lacking what should have been there and filled instead with bottomless greed—did not sound pleasant at all.

"Lord Yuan Shu harbors no desire to oppose the Ten Attendants. If he truly did, why would he have joined hands with General-in-Chief He Jin, who claims to represent the Qingliu faction? He has simply been faithful to the duties entrusted to him. Furthermore, since Lord Yuan Shu stands with the will of the Yuan family, why would he deliberately create unnecessary friction? On the contrary, he has expressed his disappointment that someone is trying to damage the relationship between the Yuan family and the Ten Attendants."

Yuan Shu, the legitimate heir of the Yuan family, was its central pillar and the one who would lead it in the future. And while the Ten Attendants currently enjoyed supreme power, the Yuan family was hardly without influence. Their network of connections, military strength, and financial resources were all formidable. Even the Ten Attendants could not simply ignore a family that had produced the Three Dukes for four generations.

Moreover, Yuan Shu was not only the legitimate heir but also a figure with considerable influence even now. That was why the Ten Attendants could no longer continue their petty provocations.

"...Ufufu, how could we possibly misinterpret Lord Yuan Shu's intentions? It's just that Lord Yuan Shu is as impenetrable as a fortress, never giving us even a single reply, so we played a little harmless prank out of boredom. I hope there is no misunderstanding? Hoho."

"Ehem~. Setting that aside, you said Lord Yuan Shu had something to say and that you've come to deliver his message?"

"Yes. Lord Yuan Shu wishes to demonstrate that he has no intention of becoming enemies with the Ten Attendants. In doing so, he offers his consideration and hopes that the Ten Attendants will show a little cooperation and sincerity in return."

"Hohoo... Let's hear what he has to say, shall we?"

While maintaining a polite bow, Jia Xu made sure not to overdo her deference, mindful that she came bearing Yuan Shu's name. She then began to explain.

The power of the Ten Attendants ultimately stemmed from the emperor's favor. If that favor were to drift away from them, they would become worse than kites with their strings cut, and their enemies would slaughter them in an instant!

From that perspective, the Yuan family could not ignore their current authority, and since the Yuan family was hardly a purely upright clan, cooperation was possible. However, in the game of politics, where power was everything, the Ten Attendants could just as easily turn on the Yuan family. They were already at odds with the emperor's maternal relative, the General-in-Chief, so how could they avoid conflict with the Yuan family?

But that was not the case right now. There was no reason to create a powerful enemy by picking a fight first. That would simply be stupid...

From that standpoint, Yuan Shu had been focusing on his duties as Commandant, regularly suppressing bandits and barbarians, offering a portion of the spoils and goods to the emperor, and steadily building both reputation and military achievements. Although his official rank was still low, he had become someone the Ten Attendants could not afford to ignore.

"That lord understands the difficulties the Ten Attendants face. That is why he has personally stepped forward to help alleviate your concerns."

Jia Xu conveyed that Yuan Shu had decided to head out to the provinces himself, so there was no need for the Ten Attendants to remain wary. For the Ten Attendants, this was an offer with nothing to lose. Both the center of power and the emperor's favor flowed from the capital of Luoyang. Leaving the capital meant distancing oneself from those things. In other words, it was practically solving one of their biggest headaches.

The Ten Attendants' eyes lit up the moment they heard the proposal. It was the kind of suggestion they would gladly welcome.

At the same time, Yuan Shu presented what he wanted in return for this concession.

"In exchange for this concession, he requests a proper opportunity to achieve genuine merit."

"What does that mean? Could you explain in more detail~?"

Faced with that drawn-out, coquettish, androgynous voice, Jia Xu answered immediately.

"Lord Yuan Shu intends to head to Youzhou as a provincial official. There, using his military authority and cooperation with the barbarian tribes, he will take advantage of the chaos and turmoil to subjugate the wicked barbarians who disturb the borders and plunder the people of Han. At the same time, if this endeavor succeeds, he wishes for his military achievements to be properly recognized. He also stated that he will generously share the spoils with His Majesty and the Ten Attendants."

After delivering the message, Jia Xu had the splendid bribes she'd brought carried in. She smiled softly as she looked at the Ten Attendants.

"In return for the consideration Lord Yuan Shu has shown, may we expect your goodwill and sincerity?"

The bribes prepared personally by the Yuan family and Yuan Shu were more than enough to capture the Ten Attendants' eyes...

"Uhu, uhuhuhu! Of course, of course! Please tell Lord Yuan Shu that the Ten Attendants will not forget the gift and consideration he has offered!"

In this way, Jia Xu completely charmed the Ten Attendants and completed the gift she would present to her lord, Yuan Shu.

Soon after, the Ten Attendants—who had received everything they wanted and secured promises of future profits—rushed to the emperor in a frenzy. They delivered Yuan Shu's proposal with an absurd amount of embellishment...

"......By this decree, General of the Broken Barbarians Yuan Shu is appointed Colonel of the Wuhuan and concurrently Magistrate of Geyong County. Yuan Shu shall uphold the will of the Son of Heaven and subjugate the barbarians disturbing the borders of Han!"

"This servant Yuan Shu! Receives the emperor's command!"

Having ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠gained military authority as Colonel of the Wuhuan, jurisdiction over the Xianbei tribe, and a temporary base in Geyong County, Yuan Shu smiled as he accepted the emperor's decree.

"Pack your bags, everyone!! It's time to go pick a fight!!"

And so, the human weapons who had gathered under Yuan Shu began marching toward Youzhou at the head of the army granted by the emperor, ready to subjugate the barbarian tribes.

The monsters who would become a calamity for the barbarians had begun to move. Just what fate awaited the northern tribes?!