Chapter 173 Gongtai, I'm determined to be your friend
When she heard that Wang Jing had something important to do, Zou stepped forward and said considerately, "Since you have something to do, we sisters will leave first."

Diao Chan also gently whispered in Wang Jing's ear: "My dear, business is more important."

The three girls were all very sensible and did not act unreasonably.

After they left, Xun You took Chen Gong into General Wei's mansion.

In the yard, a cold wind suddenly blew, sweeping up snowflakes all over the sky.

Outside the house, the wind was roaring loudly.

Inside the house, everyone was cold and silent.

The solemn and murderous atmosphere seemed to be frozen, and it was not until Xun You spoke that it was finally broken: "My lord, the person has been brought here."

Wang Jing picked up a bamboo stick and stirred the charcoal fire in the basin. Although he did not turn around, his powerful consciousness had already locked onto Chen Gong: "Are you Chen Gong?"

The emotionless questions made Chen Gong feel an unprecedented pressure, as if he was not facing a human being, but a primitive beast from the ancient mythological era. The ferocious and brutal aura was blowing in his face.

Chen Gong thought he was fearless, but after the actual contact, his body trembled instinctively, as if it was out of his control.

But he is worthy of being one of the top strategists in the world, and his spiritual cultivation is also quite extraordinary. Therefore, even when facing the pressure from Wang Jing that was like a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood, Chen Gong still showed his calmness and magnanimity.

Chen Gong quickly collected his thoughts and regained his composure. He bowed slightly to greet Wang Jing and said, "Greetings, Lord Qi."

"He is calm and fearless, truly an extraordinary person."

Wang Jing carefully looked at the famous Three Kingdoms figure in front of him. He was wearing a navy blue coat and an indigo gown. Although he was thin, he had a strong frame. His bright and sharp eyes gave people a sense of sharpness. He was obviously a strong strategist.

"Mr. Qi, you are too kind."

Chen Gong's performance can be described as neither humble nor arrogant.

Facing Chen Gong's calm gaze, Wang Jing did not use his imposing manner to oppress him, but smiled calmly: "You dare to come to my territory to stir up trouble, you are really not afraid of death."

"Since Gong dared to set foot in Luoyang, he has already put life and death aside."

"You still want to provoke me at this time, trying to provoke my killing intent. Are you planning to use your life to plot against me? Unfortunately, your rhetoric can convince Zhu Jun, but not me. I am very curious, was the person who sent you here Liu Dai, Zhang Miao, or Cao Cao?"

Wang Jing thought about it and found that both were possible.

After all, Liu Dai and Zhang Miao joined forces to attack Hulao Pass, but were met with a head-on blow by Guan Yu. It was impossible for them not to retaliate afterwards.

As for Cao Cao, after experiencing several major defeats, he probably had his mind opened up and no longer wanted to be a capable minister in a peaceful era, but wanted to be a treacherous hero in troubled times.

Although he had saved Cao Cao several times, Cao Cao was now facing a survival crisis for his own forces. Once the Northern Army broke out of Hulao Pass, Yanzhou where Cao Cao was located would inevitably be the first to bear the brunt.

Therefore, in order to survive, Cao Cao had the motive to stir up trouble, such as creating some trouble in Luoyang to delay his own expansion.

Wang Jing was calculating silently in his heart, and at the same time he was also secretly in the officialdom Chen Gong.

However, Chen Gong was a top strategist, and even though he was captured, he hid his emotions very well without revealing any flaws. Even Wang Jing found it difficult to guess more key information from the changes in his facial expression.

Chen Gong had a blank expression on his face, and said passionately, "Marquis Qi, don't waste your time trying to get information out of me. You can kill me or chop me up, it's all up to you."

Wang Jing smiled when he heard this: "When did I ever say I wanted to kill you?"

Chen Gong was stunned when he heard this, then he said righteously: "If Marquis Qi wants to persuade me to surrender, there is no need. I will definitely..."

“Don’t take yourself too seriously.”

Wang Jing mercilessly interrupted Chen Gong's impassioned speech, and even looked at him with a bit of contempt: "I am just weighing the options of killing you and letting you go, which one is more beneficial to me."

"Humph, you're just being mysterious."

Chen Gong was very annoyed by Wang Jing's gaze: "I don't believe you will let me go so easily."

"Why do you say that, Gongtai? Jing Ziwen is a magnanimous person."

But Chen Gong obviously didn't agree with Wang Jing's nonsense: "There are not many people who have offended you who are still alive. Does Qi Hou have any misunderstanding about the word magnanimity?"

Wang Jing was not angry at Chen Gong's retort, but smiled and looked at him: "When dealing with enemies, of course we must kill them all without leaving any room. But Gongtai, you are different, you are a smart person, and I like to make friends with smart people."

"Who wants to make friends with you?"

Chen Gong, who regarded Confucianism as his lifelong belief, glared at Wang Jing. He said angrily: "You are the enemy of Confucianism and the source of trouble in the world. I wish I could kill you as soon as possible. I will never associate with you!"

"Although it was not your original intention, you still provided me with crucial information after all. So no matter whether you consider me a friend or not, I have made you my friend."

Wang Jing's face was full of enthusiasm and familiarity.

When Chen Gong saw this, his heart was filled with alarm, as if he sensed an unprecedented crisis approaching: "A gentleman can be killed but not humiliated. Qi Hou, don't confuse me with your nonsense. When have I ever told you a word? Don't slander me!"

Seeing Chen Gong completely lose his calm and composure, Xun You showed an expression of disbelief, and in his heart he was full of admiration for Wang Jing's methods.

Being able to break through the psychological defenses of a top strategist so easily, although the process was a bit nonsensical, the result was still shocking.

Therefore, Xun You became even more curious about what Wang Jing would say next.

Seeing that Chen Gong was cornered and confused after just a few words, Wang Jing felt a little proud and said more unforgivingly: "Although you didn't say anything, your presence itself has revealed a very important information to me."

When Chen Gong held his breath and Xun You was concentrating, Wang Jing raised three fingers and said, "Cao Cao, Zhang Miao, and Liu Dai, I'm afraid these three forces have secretly united, right? Moreover, Liu Dai was ineffective in suppressing the Yellow Turban Army and was about to be abandoned by the noble families of Yanzhou. And you, Chen Gongtai, have secretly reached an agreement with Cao Cao and agreed to let him rule Yanzhou. Am I right?"

"How do you know that?"

Chen Gong was shocked and couldn't believe how Wang Jing could find out so many things just by looking at a few clues.

Especially the invitation of Cao Cao to take control of Yanzhou. Even within Yanzhou, few people knew about this matter, and everything was still being pushed forward secretly.

Wang Jing actually relied on his familiarity with the history of the Three Kingdoms and the current situation to deduce this possibility, and now it has finally been confirmed: "Looking at your expression, I know that my guess is correct."

Chen Gong clenched his fists in anger, feelings of regret constantly emerging in his mind.

He hated himself for being so careless that he leaked such important information to Wang Jing. He even wanted to kill himself right now, but it was too late.

The information has been leaked, and the only thing we can do is to try to remedy the situation.

You must leave alive!

Wang Jing easily caught this slight change in his expression: "Just now you wanted to die, but now you have the desire to live. That's right, only if you go back alive can you adjust your original plan, so that I won't interfere and ruin your overall situation. The only question is, how are you going to go back alive? Are you going to kneel down and beg me for mercy?"

Wang Jing's words made Chen Gong so angry that he wanted to vomit blood. His eyes were bloodshot because of anger. He said bitterly: "Meng De is right. You are indeed the most terrible person in the world."

"Thank you for the compliment. It's just an empty title, not worth mentioning. Right now, I can give Gongtai a choice and make a deal in exchange for the chance for you to leave safely."

"What kind of deal is it?"

Chen Gong stared at Wang Jing. At this moment, he could no longer maintain his previous psychological advantage and could only allow Wang Jing to propose conditions and control the situation.

Wang Jing was not polite at all: "You entered Luoyang, there must be some forces secretly helping you, what I want is their list."

"You want me to betray my comrades! That's impossible!"

Chen Gong stood up suddenly, his eyebrows raised, his eyes seemed to be spitting fire. However, the angrier Chen Gong was, the more his faith was touched. Wang Jing, who had completely controlled the situation, would certainly not give up his negotiation advantage easily: "Gongtai, you have to calm down. Think carefully, comrades and ideals, you can't have both. Right now you have received information that concerns the survival of the Yanzhou family, but the price of passing on this information is the lives of a small number of people."

"Sacrifice the small self to achieve the greater self, isn't this the self-requirement of Confucianism? Believe in your comrades, they will definitely be very willing to sacrifice their lives for justice, don't you think?"

Wang Jing's words were like the whispers of a devil. The more Chen Gong listened, the more his thoughts became depressed, as if his beliefs were being crushed and shattered.

With a frown and gritting his teeth, Chen Gong stabbed his ten fingers deeply into his palms, and blood even flowed out.

But this pain was far less than the heartache. His consciousness kept struggling between the two dilemmas.

Even the top wise men can only make choices, choosing the big things over the small things, and putting the overall situation first!

Finally, Chen Gong made his choice. He said bitterly, "The Buddhist scriptures mentioned that there are often demons in the world that hinder people's practice. They can use words to make a person's heart fall into the horrible hell. I thought it was nonsense at that time, but now I believe it."

Chen Gong looked up at Wang Jing. In his eyes there was not only anger but also fear, as if he had seen a real demon descend into this world.

There is no doubt that after betraying his comrades, Chen Gong has begun to have serious self-doubt.

A happy smile appeared on Wang Jing's face.

On the snow-white letter paper, Chen Gong wrote a list, and then asked dejectedly: "Marquis Qi, the list has been written. May I ask if Gong can leave now? Or do you want to verify the authenticity of the list first?"

"Haha, Gongtai is joking. I still trust your character. It's a pleasure to work with you."

Chen Gong, however, gave Wang Jing a cold look: "This cooperation is not pleasant at all."

Wang Jing didn't take it seriously and sent someone to escort Chen Gong out of the city, then let him leave alone.

Xun You asked: "My Lord, how should we deal with the people on this list?"

"Burn it."

"what!?"

Xun You's face changed drastically: "Wouldn't it be too cruel to burn him to death? How about beheading him instead?"

Wang Jing was speechless: "Gongda, what I mean is, burn the list."

Xun You heaved a sigh of relief, then bowed earnestly and said, "My lord, you are kind and virtuous, and I admire you. Once this matter spreads, the people on the list will be grateful and swear allegiance to you. They will also be able to direct their hatred towards Chen Gong, undermining the other side's morale from within. It really kills two birds with one stone."

"Okay, that's enough flattery."

Wang Jing waved his hand, but seeing that Xun You had no intention of leaving, he looked as if he wanted to say something but hesitated, so he asked him, "Gongda, if you have something to say, just say it. You know I am not someone who doesn't listen to advice."

After hesitating for a while, Xun Youcai bowed and said, "My lord, Chen Gongtai's strategy is extraordinary. Even if he cannot be used, he should be killed to prevent future troubles."

Hearing this, Wang Jing looked at Xun You and chuckled, "Are you trying to say that I let the tiger go back to the mountain?"

Xun You quickly lowered his head: "I dare not."

Wang Jing waved his hand, his tone rather disapproving: "It doesn't matter. Actually, killing has its advantages, and letting go also has its advantages."

Xun You was quite thoughtful after hearing these words, but he suddenly figured out what Wang Jing meant by this, so he asked curiously, "If you really have a deeper intention, could you please tell me so that I can perfect the details of your plan for you?"

"You have also met Cao Mengde. What kind of person do you think he is?"

Xun You thought about this question and expressed his own opinion: "In the Nanyang Yuedan Review, General Xu once said that Cao Cao was a capable minister in a peaceful era and a treacherous hero in a chaotic era."

"Gongda, do you agree with what he said?"

"Yes."

Xun You nodded seriously.

Yuedanping was an activity hosted by the Xu Shao brothers from Runan County in the late Eastern Han Dynasty to evaluate and praise or criticize contemporary figures or poems, calligraphy, and paintings. It was usually published on the first day of each month, hence the name Yuedanping.

No matter who it is, once it is commented on, its value will increase a hundredfold, and it will be circulated among the people and regarded as a good story.

Therefore, Yuedanping was highly respected among the aristocratic families and was well-known and popular at the time.

Although this is essentially a means of hype, the fact that it became popular for a time is enough to prove that Xu Shao and Xu Zijiang are extremely capable people, and his vision and judgment are indeed accurate, and most of the comments he gives are also very pertinent.

Wang Jing smiled and said, "A capable minister in a peaceful era and a treacherous hero in a chaotic era, apart from their character and morality, the two actually have one thing in common, which is the desire to control power. Whether you want to be a capable minister or a treacherous hero, you must hold power in your hands."

Autocratic!

Xun You suddenly thought of these four words. He understood what Wang Jing meant and said subconsciously, "So that's how it is. Cao Cao and Chen Gong are close friends and have common aspirations. But Yanzhou is too small. There is no room for two tigers in one mountain. If you let Chen Gong go, it may seem like you are letting a tiger go back to the mountain, but in fact you are just sitting on the mountain and watching the tigers fight."

Wang Jing deduced this possibility by reversely analyzing history that had already happened.

But Xun You didn't know that, so he was full of admiration for Wang Jing's strategy and layout: "My lord, you have foresight and your layout is ingenious. I am in awe of you."

Obviously, Xun You also agreed with Wang Jing's strategy.

In Xun You's opinion, to the east of Hulao Pass, Yuzhou and Yanzhou are closely adjacent. These two places are the core hinterland of the Central Plains and are fertile lands with a prosperous population, fertile land, and a prosperous economy.

However, Yuzhou and Yanzhou were home to four powerful forces: Yuan Shu of Nanyang, Cao Cao of Xuchang, Zhang Miao of Chenliu, and Liu Dai of Puyang.

Yuan Shu was restrained by Liu Biao and was temporarily unable to expand.

Liu Dai is an incompetent person who cannot even suppress the Yellow Turban Army in his territory. He will be defeated easily and will most likely be the first unlucky guy to be eliminated.

Although Zhang Miao of Chenliu was a famous scholar in Yanzhou, he lacked the military power to protect himself. The fact that he was defeated twice by Wang Jing and the Northern Army in front of Hulao Pass was the best proof of this.

Therefore, the force most likely to rise is Cao Cao, who has both civil and military officials. The aristocratic families in Yanzhou also hope to support Cao Cao to fight against Wang Jing for their own interests.

This is the current situation. When Wang Jing cleared the fog, Xun You quickly understood the overall strategy and layout, and even praised: "Cao Mengde and Chen Gongtai are both very opinionated people. The lord let Chen Gongtai, this fierce tiger, go back. He will definitely fight with Cao Mengde. This is indeed a brilliant move."

Chen Gong himself is a representative of the famous scholars in Yanzhou and a leading figure among the Confucian school and aristocratic families. His interests and position must be on the side of the Yanzhou gentry.

This means that Chen Gong will eventually come into conflict with Cao Cao, because Cao Cao is not a person who is willing to be manipulated and used by others.

If Cao Cao wants to dominate Yanzhou, it will inevitably damage the interests of the Yanzhou aristocratic families, unless Cao Cao is willing to be a watchdog for the Yanzhou aristocratic families. But will Cao Cao be willing to do that?
No matter how sincere the friendship or how close the relationship is, it cannot change this conflict of political power.

In history, Chen Gong would betray Cao Cao and lead Lu Bu to rule Yanzhou. The death of the famous scholar Bian Rang was just a fuse. The real reason for the two people's enmity was the conflict of use and position, and this contradiction was irreconcilable.

Chen Gong had no loyalty to Lu Bu. The reason he chose him was simply because Lu Bu was expelled by Li Jue, Guo Si and other Xiliang generals at that time, like a stray dog. In addition, Lu Bu himself was not very smart and was easy to manipulate, so Chen Gong invited him to use Lu Bu's unparalleled martial arts to fight against Cao Cao.

When Lu Bu was defeated, Chen Gong knew very well that Cao Cao would never let him go, so he would rather die than surrender, at least this way he could die with dignity.

The sound of horse hooves rang out in the wilderness.

"The Hulao Pass is ahead. Here is the customs document. You can leave on your own."

The two secret guards escorted Chen Gong to the city wall and then stopped their horses.

Chen Gong frowned, "Didn't Marquis Qi's order require you to kill me on the way?"

(End of this chapter)