The servant left to carry out his orders, and shortly after, Yuan Shu arrived.
Yuan Wei gestured for Yuan Shu to sit down. He did not speak immediately but instead pondered while observing Yuan Shu.
It could be said that Yuan Shu was much more handsome than Yuan Shao, which was one of the reasons Yuan Wei favored him beyond just bloodline.
Yuan Shao was the product of a drunken night between Yuan Feng and a household singer, a byproduct of indulgence. Since childhood, he had not received much attention and grew up rough and sturdy from exposure to the elements. In contrast, Yuan Shu, who had been pampered and meticulously groomed since childhood, grew up with a refined demeanor.
Moreover, Yuan Shao's mother was merely a singer, so he had to learn etiquette and manners on his own. Yuan Shu, on the other hand, had a dedicated etiquette officer guiding him from the age of three. Every move he made had to conform to standards. Over time, Yuan Shu's speech and behavior increasingly reflected the grace of a noble family, while Yuan Shao's actions were often criticized for being rude.
This was also why Yuan Shao later associated with common heroes, while Yuan Shu often engaged in discussions with scions of noble families.
Yuan Wei looked at Yuan Shu, who resembled his elder brother Yuan Feng, and at his youthful, slightly arrogant face. Although he felt some reluctance in his heart, he ultimately made up his mind. Staying at home might be comfortable, but how could one grow into a towering tree without weathering storms?
Yuan Wei said, "Do you know about your brother's recent matter?" — Have you heard about Yuan Shao resigning from his official post?
Yuan Shu nodded and said, "I have heard." In fact, Yuan Shu was not worried but somewhat pleased upon hearing that Yuan Shao had fled. Since childhood, he had been annoyed by people constantly comparing him to his elder brother Yuan Shao. One was the legitimate son, and the other was a bastard—what was there to compare?
Yuan Wei said, "The court has appointed your brother as the Governor of Bohai."
Although Bohai was not a large commandery, it was still a significant county. The governor of a large county was a high-ranking official with a salary of one thousand dan. More importantly, the governor had full control over both civil and military affairs in his jurisdiction and could freely appoint subordinate officials, such as the governor's secretary and assistants. The court generally approved these appointments, rarely rejecting them or sending someone else.
Thus, with the position of Governor of Bohai, Yuan Shao officially had his own territory. As for how he would develop it in the future, that was a matter for later.
Yuan Shu was clearly well-versed in matters of official positions, so he found it incredible upon hearing Yuan Wei's words. "Why is this happening?" — What kind of situation is this? Not only was he not punished for resigning, but he was also given a higher position! If I had known such a good thing would happen, I would have resigned too!
"This is the scheme of the Dong family's son," Yuan Wei explained slightly, sighing inwardly. This was the burden the Yuan family, standing at the pinnacle of the noble families, had to bear—the Yuan family's deep roots and extensive influence naturally made it a target. Over the years, countless people had tried to ride on the Yuan family's coattails, use it to establish their authority, or either ally with or suppress it. Yuan Wei had experienced such situations countless times and remained calm in the face of various circumstances, but the current Yuan Shu seemed indeed still somewhat immature.
"How many soldiers and armor do you currently have?" Yuan Wei asked.
Although Yuan Shu was not a military official of the court, being from a noble family, it was a well-known convention to privately maintain some soldiers and armor. As long as it was not excessive, hardly anyone would interfere.
"About one tun of soldiers and armor," Yuan Shu replied honestly, though he was unsure of Yuan Wei's intentions. According to the Han military system, one qu consisted of two tun, one tun consisted of two dui, and one dui consisted of ten wu, each with its own leader. Thus, Yuan Shu had nearly a hundred private soldiers under his command.
Yuan Wei nodded; this was consistent with what he knew. He took out a jade pendant from his side and handed it to Yuan Shu, saying, "With this token, you can find Zhang Xiao, the qu leader in the Right Army of the Western Garden. He will follow your orders."
Then Yuan Wei lowered his voice and said, "The Dong family's son intends to depose the emperor and will likely place the deposed emperor in the Southern Palace. You should seize the opportunity to incite a disturbance and rescue him!"
"What! Rescue... rescue the emperor?!" Yuan Shu was shocked.
"Calm down!" Yuan Wei reminded him. It was just rescuing an emperor, and a deposed one at that. Was it worth such a reaction?
Yuan Shu took several deep breaths to calm his agitated mind—Uncle, you make it sound so easy, as if rescuing an emperor is like having a cup of tea or a chat. But that's the emperor, even if deposed. There's only one such treasure in the entire Han dynasty!
But why should the Yuan family take such a risk? Or rather, why should I, Yuan Shu, take this risk?
Yuan Wei looked directly at Yuan Shu and asked, "The Dong family's son wants to control the court and will inevitably target our Yuan family. This place may seem stable, but it is not. Moreover, if your brother brings troops here one day, what will you do? Have you not heard of the story of Chong'er?" — Luoyang may seem stable, but in reality, Dong Zhuo, to monopolize court power, will inevitably clash with the Yuan family. Therefore, leaving Luoyang is safer. Besides, Yuan Shao is now a governor with the right to command troops. If one day he, like Dong Zhuo, brings troops here, can you, Yuan Shu, maintain your position?
Yuan Wei then asked a seemingly unrelated question: "If the emperor is deposed, what benefits will your brother gain?" — Yuan Shao resigned from his post. If the emperor is truly deposed, what advantages will he gain?
Yuan Shu pondered for a moment and tentatively said, "Popular support?"
Yuan Wei stroked his beard and nodded, "Exactly. Therefore, whether you succeed or fail in rescuing the emperor, it doesn't matter." — I'm asking you to do this not necessarily to succeed, but to see if you can grasp the underlying meaning.
Yuan Shu listened thoughtfully.
Yuan Wei gestured on the table and said to Yuan Shu, "This is the Northern and Southern Palaces..."
Seeing Yuan Shu nod, Yuan Wei continued, "If the emperor is deposed, he will likely be placed in one of the palaces on either side of the Yongxiang..." — After all, a deposed emperor cannot be allowed to roam freely. Confinement in the cold palace is the best option.
Yuan Wei then drew a larger imaginary frame on the table, representing the city walls, and said, "Your private soldiers can hide near the southern gate. Prepare carriages and horses to seize the opportunity during the chaos. You, with Zhang Xiao's troops, can pass through the palace and exit directly through the southern gate..." Yuan Wei drew a line connecting the Southern Palace to the southern city gate.
The Southern Palace was closest to the southern gate, making the route the shortest and the risk relatively smaller.
Seeing Yuan Shu deep in thought, Yuan Wei added, "You can collaborate with Cao Aman on this matter."
Cao Aman, or Cao Cao—why involve him? Shouldn't such matters be known to as few people as possible?
"Cao Aman must have old acquaintances in the palace," Yuan Wei said, then added, "You can let him take the lead."
Seeing Yuan Shu's thoughtful expression, Yuan Wei finally added, "Shu'er, remember this: in any endeavor, always leave a way out. Cao Aman is also a way out... Go and think it over carefully. We'll discuss it again tomorrow."
Yuan Shu then took his leave, but before leaving, he asked, "Where should I go afterward?" — Whether successful or not, I certainly can't stay in Luoyang. So where should I go?
"You can go to Nanyang."