Bai Xiaowen gathered Youzhou's civil and military officials to receive Yuan Shao's order as grand general.
Even the Daoist Langya Zi came uninvited. He stood silently in a corner. The Youzhou officials found his presence strange, but since Bai Xiaowen made no move to send him away, no one questioned him.
The envoy from Guandu read out the grand general's order. It mentioned Bai Xiaowen's capture of the Liaodong Four Commanderies only in passing, offering neither praise nor criticism. As for the newly discovered Yellow Turbans, Jiao Chu and Zhang Nan were to lead five thousand troops against them.
The letter did, however, rebuke Yuan Xi for letting news of the Yellow Turban Army spread throughout the city. But a rebuke was all it was. Yuan Xi was Yuan Shao's own son, after all.
"Second Young Master, that is the whole of the grand general's order."
The envoy from Guandu remained respectful toward Bai Xiaowen.
Bai Xiaowen nodded. "Please report to my father that I will obey his orders." He then instructed a guard to take the envoy to water his horse and rest before returning to Guandu with his reply.
After the envoy left, Bai Xiaowen swept his gaze across the hall.
Yan Rou was the first to step forward. "Young Master, taking the Liaodong Four Commanderies was a tremendous achievement. I never expected the grand general to pass over it without a word of reward. It is baffling."
Zhao Rong gave a bitter smile. "Instead, our lord rebuked him because news of the Yellow Turban Army wasn't kept secret."
The other Youzhou officials voiced their opinions one after another. They dared not accuse Yuan Shao of unfairness, but all felt the Second Young Master had been wronged.
Bai Xiaowen said calmly, "What's done is done. There's no need