Cao Loses the Qilin, Heroes Seek It Together

Following Cheng Yu's orders, the Cao army no longer held back, driving straight into the territory of Runan.

They dispatched scouts in all directions, beginning the hunt for Qin Tian's trail.

Naturally, this news could not be kept from the eyes and ears of Yuan Shu.

Upon receiving the report, Sun Xiang, the Administrator of Runan under Yuan Shu, sent a dispatch by fast horse toward Shouchun.

At this time, in the city of Shouchun, in the land of Huainan.

Yuan Shu sat high in the seat of honor, with his ministers arrayed in rows on either side.

Yuan Shu stroked his beard and laughed:

"In the past, the Exalted Ancestor was but a pavilion chief of Sishui, yet he gained the world."

"Now, four hundred years have passed, the mandate is exhausted, and the realm is in turmoil."

"My family has held the Three Excellencies for four generations, and the people look to us. I wish to respond to Heaven and follow the will of the people to ascend the throne. What say you all?"

As soon as his voice fell, his ministers began to murmur in heated discussion.

In truth, this was not the first time Yuan Shu had sought to proclaim himself emperor.

Two years ago, when Yuan Shu first obtained the Imperial Seal, he had expressed his intent to ascend, only to be dissuaded by his subordinates.

Two years had passed since then, yet Yuan Shu's ambition remained undying.

Seeing Yuan Shu's renewed intent to claim the throne, the Registrar Yan Xiang stepped forward and said:

"My Lord, you must never act in such a way!"

"In the past, Houji of Zhou accumulated virtue and merit, and by the time of King Wen, he possessed two-thirds of the world, yet still served the Yin. Though your family lineage is noble, it does not match the prosperity of the Zhou; and though the Han house is weak, it is not as tyrannical as King Zhou of Yin!"

"This matter must not be pursued!"

Once he finished speaking, the crowd split into three factions: one led by Yuan Yin and Yang Hong, who strongly urged Yuan Shu to ascend; another led by Yan Xiang, Yuan Huan, and Zhang Fan, who strongly opposed it.

There was a third faction, including Ji Ling and others, who remained neutral.

The ministers argued incessantly.

Seeing this, Yuan Shu flew into a rage:

"My Yuan surname descends from Chen, and Chen is the successor of Great Shun. By earth, I succeed fire, which perfectly matches the cycle of fate."

"Now there is a prophecy: 'He who replaces the Han shall be the one who stands upon the high road.' My courtesy name is Gonglu, which perfectly fulfills this omen!"

"Furthermore, I possess the Imperial Seal. To not be the sovereign would be to defy the way of Heaven."

"My mind is made up; anyone who speaks further shall be executed!"

Hearing this, the ministers fell silent at once.

Yuan Shu, quite pleased with himself, was about to speak again when a soldier rushed into the hall and shouted:

"My Lord, an urgent report from Runan!"

Seeing the soldier disrupt his plans, Yuan Shu was greatly displeased:

"What urgent report is this, to cause such panic?"

The soldier, knowing he had provoked Yuan Shu's ire, hurriedly produced the letter from Sun Xiang:

"It is regarding the incident in Xuchang, My Lord. The Cao army is invading, and I had to report it!"

"The incident in Xuchang? Bring the report here for me to see!"

Upon hearing it concerned Xuchang, Yuan Shu ordered his guards to retrieve the document.

He took the report and scanned it at a glance; before long, he stroked his beard and laughed heartily:

"Truly, Heaven knows I am about to ascend the throne and has sent this to aid me!"

The ministers were all filled with astonishment upon hearing this.

What had happened in Xuchang to make Yuan Shu so happy?

Yuan Shu's strategist, Yuan Huan, hurriedly stepped forward:

"May I ask, My Lord, what has occurred in Xuchang?"

"See for yourselves!"

Yuan Shu ordered the report passed to the others, while he continued to stroke his beard with a smile:

"Cao Mengde has no eye for talent; he has actually offended Qin Zixuan!"

"Now, Qin Zixuan has abandoned his home and headed south, already reaching our territory in Runan!"

"I do not fear Cao Mengde, but I do fear Qin Tian. Now that Qin Tian has been cast out, it is a sign that Heaven's mandate belongs to me!"

Yuan Shu and Qin Tian were old acquaintances; they had met during the campaign against Dong Zhuo.

At that time, Yuan Shu had paid no attention to the young lad who stood by Cao Cao's side every day.

But as Cao Cao rose to power, Qin Tian's abilities had gradually come to light.

His most direct encounter with him was the Battle of Kuangting.

In that battle, he had allied with the Yanzhou Inspector Jin Shang to attack Yanzhou, with the Black Mountain Bandits and the Xiongnu assisting in the fight.

Yet, in the end, they were soundly defeated by the garrison troops led by Qin Tian, forced to flee in total disarray.

From that moment on, Qin Tian cast a long shadow over Yuan Shu.

Compared to Cao Cao, Yuan Shu feared Qin Tian even more.

While fearful, he also envied Old Cao for having such a great talent to assist him.

Now, seeing Qin Tian leave Cao Cao, his heart was filled with extreme joy.

As everyone read the military report, they were all surprised, and Yuan Huan hurriedly smiled and said:

"It is truly Heaven assisting our army; that Qin Tian is known as a talent of the Qilin, rare in all the world."

"Now that he has left Cao, it is like severing one of Cao Cao's arms!"

"He has come to Runan, surely intending to join our army. With such a man's assistance, the Lord's great cause can be achieved!"

Yan Xiang also stepped out and bowed, saying:

"Lord, if Qin Tian wishes to join our army, Cao Cao will certainly not be willing."

"If he sends cavalry to pursue, I fear Qin Tian will struggle to escape. It would be better to send a force to make contact and prevent Cao Cao from recapturing him!"

"That is exactly what I intend to do!"

Yuan Shu stroked his beard and smiled, immediately issuing the order:

"Ji Ling, you are to lead thirty thousand troops at once and go to provide support!"

"Tell Sun Xiang to mobilize his troops immediately; he must bring Qin Tian here!"

"I shall personally welcome such a great talent!"

"All of you, prepare for the imperial enthronement as well. Once Qin Zixuan arrives, I will appoint him as Chancellor, and you shall all receive rewards!"

Hearing Yuan Shu's words, everyone's hearts sank.

So, the matter of declaring himself Emperor was already a foregone conclusion?

Yuan Shu was truly determined to ascend the throne.

However, there was one more thing that surprised them: Yuan Shu was actually prepared to make Qin Tian his Chancellor!

This was no longer just a matter of valuing him!

This was desperation!

It showed just how important Qin Tian was in Yuan Shu's heart.

But the others had nothing to say; after all, the man had such a great reputation!

Meanwhile, in Ye City, Ji Province.

Inside the General's Mansion, Yuan Shao had also summoned his advisors to discuss matters.

Unlike Yuan Shu, who was dreaming of being an Emperor.

Yuan Shao had summoned his officials for only one purpose: to prepare the final blow against Gongsun Zan!

The two had been fighting in Hebei for years, with each side tasting both victory and defeat.

Seeing Gongsun Zan retreating step by step and now trapped in Yijing, Yuan Shao prepared to finish him off in one battle and seize the four provinces of Hebei.

Just as they were discussing, Yuan Xi walked into the mansion, his face full of joy, and shouted:

"Father, good news, great news!"

Seeing Yuan Xi like this, Yuan Shao frowned and said:

"Why are you so rude? Do you not see your father discussing matters with these gentlemen?"

Rebuked, Yuan Xi hurriedly bowed to the group, then looked at Yuan Shao with a joyful expression:

"Father, it is not that your son is rude, but this matter is of great importance!"

Without waiting for Yuan Shao to ask, he produced a secret report:

"Our spies report that because Cao Cao feared Qin Tian's talent, Qin Tian has resigned and left!"

"Now that Cao Cao has lost his chief strategist, is this not excellent news for our army?"

"Oh? Qin Tian has left Cao?"

Yuan Shao's eyes lit up as he said:

"Is this true or false?"

"It is certainly true!"

Yuan Xi said with a smile:

"Recently, Cao Cao's subordinates, such as Cheng Yu, have ordered a search for Qin Tian, which shows that Qin Tian has escaped Cao Cao's control!"

Hearing this, Yuan Shao was instantly delighted:

"How can Cao Mengde be so intolerant that even Qin Zixuan has left him?"

His face was full of joy, and the assembled officials were also whispering among themselves.

Amidst the discussion, Tian Feng stepped forward directly and said:

"My Lord, Qin Tian is a rare talent of the world. Now that he has left Cao Cao, he will surely seek a wise master!"

"My Lord can spread the word to invite him to join us!"

"If Qin Tian is willing to come, our army will gain an ally, and Cao Cao will lose an arm!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao stroked his beard with self-satisfaction and said:

"I have the same intention. Although our army is full of talent, a man like Qin Tian is still hard to come by!"

He hurriedly said to Yuan Xi:

"Xianyi, go and issue the order at once. Any of our spies who can find Qin Tian shall be rewarded with a hundred gold pieces immediately!"

"If anyone can recruit Qin Tian, they shall be rewarded with a thousand gold pieces and a thousand mu of fertile land!"

Hearing this, Yuan Xi immediately cupped his hands and said:

"Understood, I shall go and relay the order at once!"

Under the actions of the two Yuans, the news of Qin Tian leaving Cao Cao spread to every corner of the world at a viral speed.

In an instant, a large number of warlords also received this news.

Their reactions varied, but they were all, to some extent, gloating over Cao Cao's misfortune.

Figures like Liu Biao and Lu Bu even released messages directly, promising high official positions and generous salaries as long as Qin Tian came to join them.

Even Sun Ce of Jiangdong attempted to send out spies to investigate Qin Tian's whereabouts.

Yet, after searching for a long time, these warlords suddenly discovered that Qin Tian seemed to have evaporated from the face of the earth, leaving no trace behind.

No one knew where on earth Qin Tian had gone.