Chapter 22: I Am Certain the Two Shall Return! (Please Follow for Updates!)

"I do not wish to hide it from you, my lord, but my mother is aged and requires my care."

"…I, I must return to my home in Yuyang to serve my elderly mother. I beg for your grace and permission."

Tian Yu spoke with a sense of helplessness. In truth, his excuse was even more contrived than that of Zhao Yun. Zhao Yun had lost an elder brother, and returning home to attend a funeral was a reason that commanded sympathy. Tian Yu, however, had been away from home for several years. To suddenly cite the need to care for his mother after so long was transparently a mere pretext to leave.

In reality, Tian Yu did not truly want to depart. Liu Bei had treated him with great kindness, and he personally held Liu Bei’s character in high regard. Now, being offered the high office of Chancellor of Pengcheng, he felt torn and deeply pained. Liu Bei knew that caring for his mother was just an excuse; once Tian Yu left, he would surely never return. But in the current situation, what could he do?

As Liu Bei stood up, intending to speak, Li Yi preempted him.

"So, it is your mother who requires your care. Why, that is no difficulty at all."

"We shall dispatch men to Yuyang to bring your mother here. Once she learns that you have been appointed Chancellor of Pengcheng, she will surely be proud of you."

*Ah...* Tian Yu was stunned. The script was not supposed to go this way. Shouldn't you just grant me permission to leave? It wasn't like this when you spoke to Zhao Yun earlier. Why have you turned to "kidnapping" people now that it is my turn?

Liu Bei also looked at Li Yi, bewildered, as if asking, "Sir, what are you doing?" However, he did not interrupt, trusting that Li Yi had his reasons.

"Oh? Is there perhaps some other hardship, General?" Li Yi asked, feigning ignorance.

Tian Yu stood motionless, unable to speak. What was he supposed to say? Must he lay it all out and admit he wanted to return to Gongsun Zan?

At this moment, Li Yi offered him a way out.

"Perhaps it is because your mother is elderly, and you fear the servants will not care for her properly. How about this: you shall return to Yuyang yourself to fetch her. How does that sound?"

*This...* Tian Yu froze. Li Yi had granted him permission to leave, yet not quite. By requiring him to bring his mother back, he was essentially demanding his return.

"Very well, it is settled." Li Yi patted Tian Yu on the shoulder and pulled him back to his seat. "Come, General, resume your seat. After we have finished our meal, the Governor and I will host a farewell banquet for you and General Zilong tomorrow."

*Damn it...* Tian Yu was dumbfounded. I never agreed to this, he thought, so why is it settled?

Li Yi did not give Tian Yu a chance to refuse, instead pulling him to drink. This was the essence of corporate hospitality culture—how one secures high-ranking talent. Yes, it was bullying an honest man.

***

Li Yi refused to give Tian Yu any opportunity to speak; he wanted neither a refusal nor an acceptance. This was the best outcome. As long as Tian Yu returned to Youzhou in a state of neither agreeing nor refusing, Li Yi was confident that he would eventually come back.

Following this, Li Yi and Liu Bei drank and talked with Tian Yu and Zhao Yun until late into the night. Only then did the two generals depart. Liu Bei personally saw them to the gate, watching their figures fade into the distance before returning to the room, filled with reluctance.

Li Yi sat at the table, casually eating his side dishes. "My lord, shall we have another drink?"

Liu Bei sighed. "With Generals Zilong and Guorang leaving, even the finest wine tastes like water, and the rarest delicacies lack all flavor."

Li Yi smiled softly. "I see you still harbor many doubts. Why not sit down, and I shall clear them up for you one by one."

Liu Bei nodded and sat back down. Li Yi calmly poured him a cup of wine and said, "You must be wondering why I allowed Zhao Yun and Tian Yu to leave."

Liu Bei sighed again. "I had thought that by following your advice—offering them high office and military authority—they would surely not abandon me. Yet, it seems that was merely my own wishful thinking." Having said this, he drained his cup in one gulp.

Li Yi took the opportunity to refill his cup and smiled. "My lord, do not worry. I anticipate that Zilong and Guorang will certainly return."

"Return? Certainly?" Hearing this, Liu Bei felt his sobriety return. "How can you be so certain, Sir?"

"Both General Zilong and General Guorang are men of great ambition. Now that you seek to emulate the hegemony of Duke Huan in Xuzhou and have bestowed upon them high positions, how could they refuse?"

"But did they not just resign their posts?"

"...Heh, familial affection is human nature. Once Zilong attends the funeral and Guorang brings his mother here, will they not return?"

Liu Bei frowned and said in a low voice, "Will they truly come back?" He wanted to say that surely even the Master could see these were just excuses, and he shouldn't take them at face value.

"If this were a few years ago, I could not be certain. But now, I am," Li Yi said with firm conviction. "A great man must not be confined to one place at one time. Were you not previously the Chancellor of Pingyuan under Qingzhou Inspector Tian Kai? Yet, have you not come to Xuzhou to build your own legacy?"

Tian Kai was a subordinate of Gongsun Zan; the subtext here was clear: *Old Liu, did you not also abandon Gongsun Zan to come to Xuzhou?*

"Do you mean to imply, Sir, that General Gongsun..."

"Exactly," Li Yi replied with a faint smile.

Gongsun Zan was the deciding factor in the departure of Zhao Yun and Tian Yu. The timeline had reached 194 AD, and Gongsun Zan had entered the most delirious phase of his life. Since he had killed Liu Yu, his ambition had swelled, and he had become a man who forgot kindness and remembered only grievances. He was petty, vengeful, and exploited the people without restraint. He had transformed from a guardian of the borders into a scourge upon the populace.

One must know that Zhao Yun and Tian Yu were noble gentlemen, especially Zhao Yun. He deeply cherished the people and sympathized with the downtrodden. Gongsun Zan’s actions were undoubtedly a source of profound disappointment to Zhao Yun. However, constrained by their superior-subordinate relationship, Zhao Yun could not speak his mind. Furthermore, his relationship with Gongsun Zan was not particularly close to begin with.

When Zhao Yun first defected to Gongsun Zan, the latter asked why he had chosen him. Zhao Yun had honestly replied, "The world is in chaos; I know not who is the enlightened lord. The people are in dire peril, like eggs piled high. We, the people of Changshan, have decided to follow whoever implements humane governance. Thus, I did not join you out of a desire to distance myself from Yuan Shao."

Therefore, as a man of Changshan, Zhao Yun had not joined Yuan Shao, the leader of Jizhou, but had chosen Gongsun Zan simply because he disliked Yuan Shao's conduct. He had not expected that Gongsun Zan would be no better.

Especially in recent years, Gongsun Zan had become increasingly insane, as if possessed. He took particular pleasure in persecuting young scholars from prominent families, believing that because they had lived in luxury, they would never be grateful even if given high office. This view was far too arbitrary, sweeping everyone into the same category. Even warlords as powerful as Dong Zhuo or Lü Bu knew how to court the favor of the gentry. Liu Bei, who cared so much for the people, also knew the necessity of winning over the influential clans.

As for Gongsun Zan, he was not "taking from the rich to give to the poor"—he was "taking from the rich and keeping it for himself." He favored mediocre men and even swore oaths of brotherhood with petty peddlers. These individuals amassed millions in wealth and became the new elite, all while flattering Gongsun Zan. In Gongsun Zan's eyes, this was perhaps what he called "knowing gratitude."

Thus, with the face of a petty man who had achieved success, how could Gongsun Zan not chill the hearts of his subordinates?

After Zhao Yun left Liu Bei, he did not return to Gongsun Zan. As he had told Liu Bei, "One cannot cling to small loyalties to aid a tyrant." He was referring to Gongsun Zan. Zhao Yun did not want to bear the stigma of betraying his lord, but neither did he want to aid the wicked. He simply chose to remain in his home in Changshan. It was only after Gongsun Zan’s demise that Zhao Yun could rightfully and honorably join Liu Bei.