Zhang Bao muttered to himself, but Ye Feng heard him clearly. Diao Chan was already his woman; who dared to lay a hand on her.
Furthermore, with midwinter approaching, war could not be waged. However, even so, Zhang Bao could not be allowed to act with impunity.
After considering this, Ye Feng coughed softly. Zhang Bao snapped back to reality, his face flushing red.
"King Chu, I!"
Ye Feng raised a hand, signaling that he needed say nothing further. He simply asked, "General Di Gong, do you want the common people, do you want a beauty, or do you want your life?"
Diao Chan, listening nearby, instantly turned crimson. She lightly patted Ye Feng's shoulder, but he pulled her into his embrace. "My dear, you are already my woman. What are you afraid of? This king will clear all obstacles from your path."
"I fear that my King might abandon me because of another, or for other reasons. What will become of me then?" Diao Chan playfully tapped Ye Feng's nose and then covered her face with her hands, feigning tears.
She looked so heartbroken, it was enough to make anyone weep.
"General, you must slay this wretch!"
"Slay this man!"
At this moment, Zhang Bao could no longer contain his emotions. He could live, and he refused to fall into despair again because of a Diao Chan.
But looking at Ye Feng, he knew this matter would not end amicably. He steeled himself and spoke directly to Ye Feng, "If King Chu wishes to kill me, then come. But I fear no one will bring my brothers back."
"Moreover, with the reputation of my three brothers, whispers might spread that King Chu has been bewitched by beauty. What then?"
Zhang Bao's words, he thought, would surely corner Ye Feng, who cared for his reputation. To his surprise, Ye Feng chuckled, "General, you think I will release you because of these words? But let me be perfectly clear today: I love my kingdom and I love my beauty even more. No one can manipulate this king."
Furthermore, Ye Feng leaned close to Zhang Bao's ear and whispered, "Everyone here belongs to me. What does it matter if I kill them all? General, I fear you have employed the wrong strategy and lost your composure!"
Zhang Bao trembled. Then, Ye Feng burst into laughter, "Since General pleads for the people, how can this king refuse? Make way, and let the General depart!"
With an order, Zhang Bao slowly left. Diao Chan nestled in Ye Feng's embrace, her face like a peach blossom. "My King should have killed him. Otherwise, if one by one they come to covet me, can my King protect me from all of them?"
"You little vixen! I never knew you had such a side to you!" Ye Feng gently touched Diao Chan's nose. Seeing Yu Huatian and the others looking on expectantly, he couldn't delay. He gently pushed Diao Chan away. "What matters do you have to discuss? Speak one by one."
Yu Huatian was the first to speak, "My Lord, why did you not keep Zhang Bao? It is said that he and Zuo Ci are both lying. If they are a threat to you at Peach Blossom Mountain, it may be too late."
"Based on them!" Ye Feng rebuked coldly. His tens of thousands of fragmented troops were not acquired in vain. Zhang Bao and his ilk were no match for him.
"Zhang Bao and Zuo Ci merely wish to instigate a war between me and the allied forces of the noble families, so they can reap the benefits. But am I not also the fisherman!" Ye Feng chuckled softly and slowly explained to the two before him.
"To ultimately reap the benefits, one must possess an army several times larger than mine. What do you think of the fighting strength of my soldiers?" Ye Feng asked with a smile. "How do they compare to the Yellow Turban Army, and how do they compare to the allied forces of the noble families?"
Ma Chao, having witnessed the prowess of Ye Feng's soldiers, already had a comparison in mind. Reluctant to be outdone, he quickly replied,
"My Lord's soldiers can fight ten of the Yellow Turban Army, and perhaps five of the allied forces of the noble families. As for the rest, I have never seen them, so I dare not speak carelessly."
"If that is the case, then to deal with me, one would need an army several times my size to have any chance of victory. But who possesses such a capability at this time!"
Ye Feng's casual remark revealed his greatest strength. In this current Three Kingdoms era, as long as he didn't court disaster himself, no one could be his match. As for an army several times his size, he feared everyone would need to unite to achieve that.
However, the noble families and the Yellow Turban rebels harbored their own intentions. Even among the noble families, there were rifts. They were not a united front. Therefore, dealing with Ye Feng was nothing short of a pipe dream.
When everyone understood this, they stopped dwelling on it. However, what was more important was that individual named Wang Wu, who had someone lurking behind him, ready to strike at any moment. If that happened, Ye Feng's carefully constructed empire might crumble.
"That little thing has disappeared. Does my Lord wish for people to search for him?" Ma Chao asked cautiously. He owed Ye Feng a great debt and felt guilty for not being able to keep an eye on even one person.
"Search. Even if you have to turn the ground upside down, this king will expose him. Issue an order: anyone who finds that person will be rewarded with one hundred taels of silver, and anyone who finds his whereabouts will be rewarded with fifty taels!"
"Also, Ma Chao, no matter what, you will lead your men to Ji Province. These people will be under your command. Find a piece of land and cultivate it for grain. This matter is entirely entrusted to you."
"Understood!" Ma Chao bowed and agreed without hesitation. Ye Feng nodded slightly and then turned to Diao Chan. "My beauty, do you wish to return to Ji Province, or do you wish to follow me on my travels?"
"My King asks the obvious," Diao Chan smiled coyly. "But my King, if I find that person, what reward will my King give me?" Diao Chan blinked her eyes and smiled charmingly at Ye Feng.
Ye Feng felt his bones turn to jelly, and he was speechless for a long time. A fire burned within him.
"My beauty, whatever you desire, this king will bestow upon you. Except for that position, which this king cannot give you, what else is there that this king cannot obtain!" Ye Feng declared confidently.
"Then I want my King to love me alone forever and not favor any other sisters!" Diao Chan playfully touched Ye Feng's lips with her index finger.
Ye Feng, already weakened, could no longer bear it. He quickly agreed, and the consequences could be dealt with later.
Diao Chan seemed to read Ye Feng's mind. She put her hands behind her back and gestured with her chin towards a direction.
Ye Feng looked. Beneath the bushes, there were winding tracks, leading to a small hole just large enough for a person to crawl into.
Ye Feng waved his hand gently. His subordinates understood his intent and tiptoed forward, pulling the person out from the bushes. The individual was covered in mud, with dead branches on their head.
"My beauty has sharp eyes indeed. If it were them, it might take them three to five years to find him!" Ye Feng complimented subtly.
Diao Chan was overjoyed. "Their minds are all on silver, unlike me, who is concerned with what concerns my King. That is why I could find this person."
"Take him away, clean him up. This king wants to see who has been spying in the shadows!" Ye Feng waved his hand. His subordinates pressed the person's head into the water, then pulled it out again, and repeated this several times. Only then could the person's face be clearly seen.
Upon opening their eyes and seeing that their captors were not Yellow Turban soldiers, the person swayed and exclaimed,
"What are you doing? This is an insult to decency! You are shaming the sages!"
Diao Chan chuckled softly, increasing the strength in her hands. The person who could have been pulled in either direction was now held firmly, only able to cry out about the insult to decency!
When they were brought before Ye Feng, his subordinates released them. The person hastily removed the dead branches from their head, brushed off the dirt, and then bowed, saying indifferently, "Many thanks, my King!"
"You are welcome. May I ask who you are, to have fallen to such a state?" Ye Feng inquired with interest.
The person glared angrily and pointed at his captors, cursing, "I am a disciple of the Sage. How can I be treated like this? This is an insult to decency! My King should severely punish these two to uphold the Sage's teachings, thus enriching the nation and strengthening the people!"
"Interesting. Your Sage preached everywhere a hundred years ago, and a hundred years later, there is you. May I know your name, so that you are not nameless even in the annals of history?" Ye Feng tapped the ground lightly with his finger. Diao Chan immediately understood and sat on Ye Feng's lap.
"My King, I think this person is not good with words. And he didn't care about Sage-like dignity earlier. Perhaps he is a charlatan. Why not just kill him and be done with it!"
The person's expression changed. He bowed towards the east and said, "Confucius said, 'Only women and small-minded people are difficult to raise.' This saying is indeed true. You, woman, have a venomous heart. I implore my King to issue an order to slay her, lest she ruin my King's foundation!"
"Both sides have a point, making it truly difficult to decide. However, this king does not know who you are, so how can I kill my beauty for you?" Ye Feng's nonchalant attitude made the person wish to curse him out loud. But remembering that he had indeed not announced his name, he quickly tidied his clothes and knelt down, bowing respectfully.
After rising and adjusting his appearance, he slowly said, "I am the twenty-second generation disciple of the Sage, the twenty-first descendant of Yan Hui, Xu Gong."
Xu Gong. In the novel, there is little description of him. However, in the historical records, this person played an indispensable role in the situation of Eastern Wu.
According to historical accounts, it was his retainers who assassinated Sun Ce in the street, which led to Sun Quan's reign and the subsequent tripartite division of power. It can be said that without this person, the tripartite division might not have formed.
Thinking of this, Ye Feng suddenly hesitated. He did not know whether to release Xu Gong or kill him. If he affected the historical trajectory too much, his second greatest cheat might lose its effect.
But if he released him, Sun Quan would grow to become his rival. He was in a dilemma.
Diao Chan saw Ye Feng's indecision and said coquettishly, "Why is my King troubled? Currently, my King has millions of soldiers. No one is your match. What does my King have to fear?"
"My concubine speaks wisely." Ye Feng's eyes rolled. He made up his mind to test this Xu Gong and see if he was indeed the Xu Gong of history!
"May I ask where Sir is headed? Perhaps I can assist you!"
"I have heard that the Sun family in Jiangxia values learned men. I wish to go there. May I ask if my King would permit it!"
"Silence!"