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Fei Qian stood on the northern bank of the Yellow River, gazing at its surging waters, a wave of emotion rising within him.
Perhaps it was human nature—when standing before the grandeur of nature, one couldn't help but recognize their own insignificance, instinctively feeling a sense of reverence for the natural world.
At this time, the Yellow River was not yet called "Yellow." Soil erosion had not reached the severity of later generations, and while the waters turned turbid during the rainy season, they remained clear in winter...
A clear Yellow River...
This could probably be considered one of the perks of living in the Han Dynasty.
Throughout the Han Dynasty and even up until the Northern Song Dynasty, the political heart of the land revolved around this great river. It was along these waters that the civilization of Huaxia was born, nurturing the descendants of Yan and Huang for generations—until the river itself could no longer bear the burden, transforming from a pristine, sweet beauty into a muddied, aged shadow of its former self.
To the northwest of Suanzao lay Yanjin, where the Yellow River's flow slowed due to the terrain, making it a suitable crossing point.
As for the famous Baima Crossing, it lay further east along the river, over a hundred li from Yanjin. Fei Qian had ultimately decided against taking that route, as it would have added several days of travel and required a detour—far too inconvenient.
Historically, the battles around Baima and Guandu had decided the fate of the entire northern region. But now, he wondered if such scenes would play out again.
Huang Cheng approached and reported that the entire convoy had finished crossing the river.
Fei Qian nodded, giving a few instructions, then waited for Yi Ji to arrive. Fei Qian had crossed first, while Yi Ji had come with the rear guard, only just making it to the other side.
Before long, Yi Ji arrived. Glancing around, he smiled and said, "Ziyuan certainly has an eye for location—the scenery here is truly remarkable!"
"Remarkable" hardly did it justice.
Fei Qian chuckled. "Jibo, do you have a moment? How about sharing a bowl of tea?"
Yi Ji hesitated for the briefest instant before replying, "Of course. It would be a fine chance to taste tea brewed with the waters of this great river."
Fei Qian had someone bring folding stools, and the two sat side by side on the riverbank, facing the winding currents...
Folding stools were standard military gear. While kneeling on mats was the formal posture, it was impractical in the field—especially on rainy days.
As he gazed at the river, Fei Qian studied Yi Ji from the corner of his eye. There was a saying in later generations: Doing a hundred good deeds for your superior can't compare to joining them in a single misdeed. No matter how many good deeds you did, a leader might see you as a capable subordinate but not necessarily a trusted confidant—your relationship would remain strictly professional.
But if you participated in even one wrongdoing with them, you crossed the line from mere subordinate to insider, transcending the bounds of a simple superior-subordinate dynamic.
Fei Qian's mind buzzed with speculation. Yi Ji was undeniably handsome and refined, a trusted aide of Liu Biao—but had the two of them ever shared any shady dealings?
Heh heh heh...
This time, Yi Ji was clearly on a mission for Liu Biao. Otherwise, Yuan Shu wouldn't have suddenly produced a letter from Liu Biao. But what exactly was Liu Biao negotiating with Yuan Shao?
Liu Biao, descendant of Prince Gong of Lu, was a legitimate member of the imperial clan.
Liu Dai, descendant of Prince Hui of Zhao, was another blue-blooded imperial relative.
Yet, had Fei Qian not seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed that such imperial kinsmen could be so entangled in political maneuvering, power struggles, and bullying the weak while fearing the strong...
The only regret was that he hadn't met Liu Bei, the grassroots-level imperial relative, during his time in Suanzao. It was a true pity, but perhaps there'd be another chance in the future.
Fei Qian tilted his head slightly and said to Yi Ji, "Jibo, it seems our paths will soon diverge..."
He had no intention of heading further north to meet Yuan Shao.
He had originally assumed Yuan Shao would come to Suanzao, but to his surprise, Yuan Shao had remained in Ye County the entire time.
Hah... The thought made Fei Qian sigh inwardly. His time in Suanzao had exposed him to a den of vultures, all tearing at each other for scraps of profit.
And Yuan Shao, the so-called leader of the coalition against Dong Zhuo, was busy in Ye County with his self-important ceremonies? Did these rituals have to be held in Ye County? Was Suanzao somehow unfit for such grand affairs?
Obviously not. The real reason was likely that the seat of the Governor of Ji Province was in Ye County.
Yuan Shao was using the threat of Dong Zhuo to pressure Governor Han Fu into yielding greater benefits.
Thus, Fei Qian deduced that until Yuan Shao secured concrete gains, he wouldn't leave Ji Province. To meet him, one would have to travel all the way to Ye County.
Yi Ji looked startled. "What do you mean, Ziyuan?"
"Governor Liu must have mentioned it to you—my primary objective is to reach Luoyang. I only came to Suanzao hoping to encounter Yuan Benchu here, but given that the Marquis seems intent on staying in Ye County for a long while, I'll have to trouble you to handle the rest." Fei Qian smiled faintly.
Yi Ji was clearly taken aback. It was unheard of for an envoy to abandon his mission halfway. On the other hand, if Fei Qian left, Yi Ji wouldn't have to sneak around as he had when meeting Yuan Shu. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but still...
Yi Ji said, "Ziyuan, abandoning the mission midway seems rather inappropriate, no?"
"How so?"
"Marquis Yuan Benchu is practically within reach. Even if he remains in Ye County and doesn't come further south, it's only about three hundred li from here. Wouldn't it be better for you to proceed to Ye County before parting ways?"
Fei Qian could see Yi Ji's concern. It wasn't that Yi Ji particularly wanted Fei Qian to accompany him—rather, he was worried Fei Qian might take the soldiers with him. After all, the military tally was still in Fei Qian's hands. If it came down to it, Yi Ji had little actual control over the troops.
"Jibo, here—take this." Fei Qian produced the tally, though he didn't immediately hand it over.
Yi Ji understood the implication and said, "Well... since Ziyuan is determined to uphold the bond between master and disciple, I can only respect your wishes. You may proceed westward with peace of mind."
Only then did Fei Qian pass the tally to Yi Ji, watching as he carefully stored it away. Since Yi Ji was being reasonable, Fei Qian decided to offer some advice in return: "Jibo, for this journey, you should either exercise extreme caution—displaying Governor Liu's banners prominently at the front—or move swiftly and reach Ye County as quickly as possible."
Yi Ji frowned. "Why do you say that? Are there dangers along the way?"
"The longer the night, the more dreams one has; delays invite trouble." Fei Qian felt that since they had traveled together this far, a word of caution was warranted. Whether Yi Ji understood or heeded it was his own affair.
By his calculations, the envoys from Suanzao should have already set out by now...
Yi Ji was no fool. His eyes flickered, and his expression shifted. He cupped his hands toward Fei Qian in gratitude, then took his leave, leading the eight hundred soldiers onward.