After entering Wei Commandery, Bai Xiaowen's party first passed through She County, where the local officials prostrated themselves along the road to welcome him.
Bai Xiaowen asked the county magistrate how matters stood in Jizhou.
The magistrate replied, "After the Grand Marshal passed away, Third Young Master Yuan Shang and his strategist Feng Ji arrived in Liyang. They claimed to bear the Grand Marshal's final command, naming the third young master his heir and successor. Officials in every city of Jizhou received the message, but most are hesitant, unsure whether it is genuine."
A faint sneer crossed Bai Xiaowen's face. "Does my third brother truly think he commands such Popular Support? Forging a final command to steal our father's position—how laughable."
The situation now differed from the one in Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Yuan Shang had originally been able to inherit Yuan Shao's legacy on the grounds of "choosing the worthy," thanks to his handsome looks and the abilities of a second-rate warrior.
But with Yuan Xi's sudden rise, Yuan Shang had no claim to being the worthier son.
The officials in Jizhou's cities hesitated to obey chiefly because they doubted the final command was genuine.
Beside Bai Xiaowen, Dong Zhao rebuked the magistrate. "The Second Young Master has received an imperial edict appointing him Grand Marshal and governor of Jizhou, succeeding to his father's great undertaking! As magistrate of this city, why have you not paid your respects?"
The magistrate hurriedly prostrated himself again.
"At ease," Bai Xiaowen said gently. "Has my third brother made any other moves?"
The magistrate said, "I do not know how the Third Young Master persuaded General Jiang Yiqu, the commander at Liyang, but he did. He has also gathered many soldiers routed at the Battle of Guandu. He claims to command a