Loyalty in Play, Talent in Recommendation
After leaving Yuan Feng's study, Yuan Shu went to Madam Wang's courtyard.
"Shu'er, why have you come to see me so late? Did you regret agreeing to your father's decision just now?
It's alright, if you don't want to take office, I'll go persuade him again tomorrow."
Knowing her son well, Madam Wang assumed that Yuan Shu had come to ask for her help in pleading his case.
Yuan Shu leaned close to her with a smile and said, "No, no, Mother, I came today to bring you a good gift."
Hearing that Yuan Shu had brought her a gift, Madam Wang said happily,
"Oh? My Shu'er actually knows how to bring his mother a present? Quick, show me what it is!"
Given Madam Wang's status, ordinary gold and jewels held no appeal to her. What truly made her happy was the thoughtfulness behind Yuan Shu's gesture.
In her memory, Yuan Shu rarely gave her gifts, so even if he pulled out a simple stone, she would still treasure it.
With a grin, Yuan Shu pulled a magnificent blade from his robes and asked,
"Mother, do you recognize this knife?"
Madam Wang took the blade and examined it closely.
The knife was inlaid with seven types of precious gems, its craftsmanship exquisite. Wasn't this the Seven-Star Treasure Blade, the heirloom of their Wang family?!
Other treasures might not move her, but this knife was a relic passed down through generations in the Taiyuan Wang family, holding immense significance. Madam Wang couldn't help but take it seriously.
She looked at Yuan Shu with delight and said, "Shu'er, isn't this our Wang family's Seven-Star Treasure Blade? Where did you get it?"
Scratching his head, Yuan Shu replied, "I was lucky. One of my retainers gifted it to me, and the first person I thought of was you, Mother."
Madam Wang smiled in relief and said, "Shu'er, you have truly matured."
Then, she added, "Shu'er, I am very happy that you retrieved a long-lost treasure of the Wang family for me. However, this item should not be given to me."
"Mother, this is your family's heirloom. Who else should it go to if not you?" Yuan Shu asked, puzzled.
Gently patting his shoulder, Madam Wang smiled and said,
"Shu'er, although I am the eldest daughter of the Taiyuan Wang family, I am still a married woman.
A married daughter is like water spilled on the ground—once she leaves, she no longer belongs to her natal family. It would not be proper for you to give this blade to me.
The current head of the Wang family is your uncle, Wang Yun.
He was recently summoned by the Three Excellencies of the court and appointed as Imperial Censor under the Minister of Works. His future is boundless—he may even rise to become one of the Three Excellencies himself.
Though you are his close nephew, you two have had little interaction.
Now is the perfect opportunity to reconnect with him by returning the Seven-Star Treasure Blade. If you do so, he will surely become a great ally to you in the future."
Hearing this, Yuan Shu understood—Madam Wang intended to use this heirloom to pave the way for his future.
From the way Madam Wang caressed the treasured blade, it was evident that she was extremely fond of the Seven Star Blade.
However, in order to help Yuan Shu establish a connection with Wang Yun, she decisively declined her son's goodwill.
This made Yuan Shu deeply appreciate the greatness of maternal love—clearly, in Madam Wang's heart, no treasure was more important than Yuan Shu.
Yuan Shu solemnly nodded to Madam Wang and said:
"Mother, I understand. Please rest assured.
I will take the first opportunity to return the Seven Star Blade to my uncle and ensure I build a good relationship with him."
...
The next morning, just as Yuan Shu woke up, Zhang Cheng entered the room and reported that Mister Xi was requesting an audience.
Yuan Shu, still drowsy from sleep, immediately perked up upon hearing that his strategist had arrived.
"Hurry up and invite Mister Xi in—no, wait, I'll go personally!"
Yuan Shu casually grabbed a piece of clothing and was about to rush outside.
"There's no need to hurry, my lord, Zhong is already here." Just as Yuan Shu was about to step out, Xi Zhicai's hearty laughter reached his ears.
Yuan Shu saw Xi Zhicai approaching in a blue brocade robe, followed by a man dressed in a dark blue coarse cloth short robe.
The man had a square-shaped face, a well-proportioned physique, and a rather heroic appearance—clearly someone skilled in martial arts.
Yuan Shu stepped forward and smiled at Xi Zhicai, saying:
"Sir, you are truly a rare guest. I am usually the one visiting you, yet today, you have taken the initiative to come to me."
Xi Zhicai waved his folding fan and said:
"I previously promised my lord that I would find you a capable general. Now that I have found him, I have brought him to meet you.
Xu Rong, this is our lord, Yuan Shu—pay your respects."
As soon as Xi Zhicai finished speaking, the man in the coarse cloth robe stepped forward and bowed deeply to Yuan Shu.
"I, Xu Rong, pledge my service to my lord! I am willing to serve with unwavering loyalty, even if it means leading your horse and carrying your saddle!"
Yuan Shu was overjoyed to receive Xu Rong's allegiance.
He had not expected that the general Xi Zhicai found for him would be none other than the famous Xu Rong—the man who had crushed Sun Jian at Liangdong and defeated Cao Cao at Bianshui!
Hurriedly, Yuan Shu stepped forward and personally helped Xu Rong up, speaking sincerely:
"It is my great fortune to have a warrior like you pledge loyalty to me!
Rest assured, I know that you are an exceptional general, and I will ensure your talents are put to good use!"
"Many thanks, my lord!" Xu Rong saw the sincerity in Yuan Shu's expression and felt that it was not an act. He nodded firmly, secretly relieved that he had chosen the right master.
Looking at Xu Rong before him, Yuan Shu wished to examine his abilities and secretly commanded the system:
"System, check Xu Rong's attributes and skills for me."
"Ding! System acknowledges the request. Searching for talent Xu Rong's attributes!"
"Ding! Search complete! Talent Name: Xu Rong."
"Talent Xu Rong's Attributes:
Martial Prowess: 89, Command: 93, Intelligence: 78, Politics: 62, Charisma: 55, Luck: 61
Loyalty: 90 (Utterly Devoted)
Xu Rong's Skills:
Sniper (Awakened): When ambushing or launching a sneak attack on enemy forces, Command increases by 3 points, and the chance of a successful ambush doubles.
Counter Victory (Awakened): When facing an enemy commander with a higher Martial Prowess or Command value, Xu Rong gains an additional 5 points in that respective attribute.
Flying Bear (Awakened): Can train a special unit known as the 'Flying Bear Army.'
Special Unit 'Flying Bear Army' Data:
Minimum troop size: 1,000 soldiers; Maximum troop size: 30,000 soldiers.
Average soldier's Martial Prowess: 60.
Unit Abilities:
Rapid Strike: The marching speed of the Flying Bear Army is twice that of normal soldiers.
Annihilation: In ambush and surprise attacks, each Flying Bear soldier gains +5 Martial Prowess."
After seeing Xu Rong's attributes, Yuan Shu could only sigh in admiration—he truly deserved to be the general who had defeated both Sun Jian and Cao Cao.
His two skills were incredibly powerful, and he even had an additional ability to command a unique elite unit.
It also became clear to Yuan Shu why Cao Cao had suffered defeat at Xu Rong's hands.
Xu Rong's base Command was 93. During an ambush, his skill would raise it by 3, bringing it to 96.
Since Cao Cao's Command was likely higher than Xu Rong's, the Counter Victory skill would add another 5 points, pushing Xu Rong's Command over 100. In that case, Cao Cao would certainly have been no match.
However, the conditions for activating both skills simultaneously were rather strict—this only meant that Lord Cao had been extremely unlucky.
[Author's Note]: Xu Rong was a renowned general of the late Han Dynasty and served under Dong Zhuo.
He once led troops in the Battle of Liangdong, defeating Sun Jian's army.
Later, when Cao Cao pursued Dong Zhuo's forces, Xu Rong ambushed him at Bianshui and dealt a major blow to his army.
Xu Rong's courtesy name is unrecorded, so in this novel, I have given him the courtesy name Xingyao.