Chapter 42: Others' poison, my honey

Yuan Xi listened and smiled, "You could say that."

"But more accurately, I'm helping you."

Yuan Tan raised his eyebrows, "Second brother, what do you mean by that? Isn't this beneficial to both of us?"

Yuan Xi said in a deep voice, "What I want, elder brother can't give me for the time being, but I have to stand in front and take the bullet for elder brother."

He understood that this was the crucial moment for bargaining. If he could convince Yuan Tan, he could win more chips for himself.

As expected, Yuan Tan said with interest, "Tell me about it."

At this time, the wine in the pot had cooled, but his heart began to feel a little hot.

Because in the past two years, Yuan Tan realized that his situation was getting worse and worse.

His father, Yuan Shao, was obviously biased towards his third brother, Yuan Shang, and it was very likely that he would abolish the eldest and establish the youngest!

Yuan Xi said without hesitation: "Elder brother's difficulty lies in the fact that he is already at a disadvantage in the battle with his third brother for the position of heir."

Yuan Tan was shocked, Yuan Xi was right again!

Second brother knows the situation in Ye City like the back of his hand, obviously someone is informing him!

Second brother is not a simple person!

Yuan Tan said in a deep voice, "The situation is unclear, and the outcome is unknown. How can second brother be sure that I will definitely lose?"

Yuan Xi smiled: "Father loves Madam Liu very much, right?"

Yuan Tan's face was gloomy: "Third brother is Madam Liu's own son, and because of her love, third brother is very favored."

Yuan Xi nodded: "Now the situation is actually very obvious. I am in Youzhou, elder brother is in Qingzhou, and third brother occupies the main camp of Jizhou. Elder brother should be able to see that the defeat is already showing."

"If I guessed correctly, in a few years, when Youzhou and Qingzhou are pacified, you and I will each be in charge of a state, guarding the frontier for the third brother and protecting Jizhou."

Yuan Tan slammed his fist on the table: "He deserves it!"

Yuan Xi continued: "Now what elder brother is most afraid of is being adopted into Yuan Ji's branch!"

"Abolishing the eldest and establishing the youngest requires a good excuse. Adopting elder brother to the deceased Yuan Ji as his stepson is the most legitimate means, just like father was once adopted."

"It's just that father changed from a son of a concubine to a son of the first wife, but elder brother is changing from the head of the family to a direct descendant of a side branch, a big loss."

Yuan Tan's face was gloomy. Yuan Xi had spoken his mind. His counselors had also thought of this, but this was a completely aboveboard scheme, and everyone was at a loss!

He said hoarsely: "Do you have a solution?"

Yuan Xi nodded: "What is poison to him is honey to me."

Yuan Tan was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized.

He laughed loudly: "So that's how it is, so that's how it is!"

"Second brother wants to get rid of his status as a son of a concubine and can only start his own business."

"Although the Marquis of Anguo Pavilion is just a pavilion marquis, it is also a third-class marquis. For second brother, it is not low!"

As the highest-ranking marquis in the Han system, it is divided into three classes: county, township, and pavilion.

Lu Bu's Marquis of Wen was personally conferred by Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty after killing Dong Zhuo, ranking as the highest-ranking county marquis.

Yuan Tan looked proud: "Isn't second brother asking for something from me?"

Yuan Xi shook his head: "I can also not want it. Anyway, although I am a son of a concubine, I can live a good life in Youzhou alone."

"The problem now is that if I don't take this marquis position, then this thing will definitely fall on elder brother's head."

"Elder brother, do you want it?"

Yuan Tan was speechless.

Thinking about it carefully, that's really the case!

However, Yuan Xi still concealed his true purpose.

Yuan Tan did not guess Yuan Xi's true intention, and it was impossible to guess it.

Yuan Tan said hoarsely: "That's true, I just don't understand one thing. Since I am already at a disadvantage, why doesn't second brother help third brother, but comes to help me?"

Seeing that he had deterred Yuan Tan by using the historical trend of later generations, Yuan Xi said: "If I help third brother, he will not reward me with anything."

"He will think that getting the position of head of the family is a matter of course, and naturally he will not be grateful to me."

"If I give elder brother charcoal in the snow, naturally the reward elder brother gives me will be much higher than that of third brother."

Yuan Tan nodded: "Second brother is a straightforward person, that's true!"

"I'll give you a heads-up, third brother is responsible for the defense of Jizhou, including the transportation of military rations to Beixin City."

"Third brother knows about second brother's predicament, but father may not know."

"Third brother thinks he can deal with both of us at the same time. We can't just sit and wait for death!"

"If you can help me get the position of head of the family, I can give you anything!"

Yuan Xi thought to himself that his elder brother was either an honest person or a treacherous hero who issued empty checks.

But it doesn't matter, Yuan Tan is now asking for something from him, he just needs to take the opportunity to get enough benefits.

He smiled and said: "I guess the military rations are being messed up by the third brother behind the scenes, but I don't understand why he is so targeting me."

Yuan Tan shook his head: "I don't know either."

Since the two understood that Yuan Shang was the common enemy in front of them, they immediately cut their fingers, drank blood wine, and made a promise.

Yuan Tan felt a lot more relaxed and said: "How does second brother plan to help me?"

Yuan Xi said: "My idea is very simple."

"I want to be famous."

"Whether it's fame on the battlefield or the respect of the people, it must surpass elder brother."

Yuan Tan was stunned for a moment, feeling a little wary.

Seeing this, Yuan Xi smiled and said: "I am a son of a concubine, and it is absolutely impossible for me to compete with elder brother for the position of head of the family."

"Only when my reputation soars and I show obvious hostility towards the third brother, the third brother will think of the precedent of father's son of a concubine turning over and will definitely try to kick me out of the Yuan family."

"The best way is to adopt me to the deceased Yuan Ji."

"At that time, elder brother will get rid of a confidant's trouble, and the third brother will have to find another way to deal with elder brother."

Yuan Tan listened and exclaimed: "This plan is wonderful!"

He was not a fool, and immediately asked doubtfully: "Father also turned over from being adopted as a son of a concubine, wouldn't it be a greater threat to the third brother if you were adopted?"

Yuan Xi smiled: "Elder brother is confused."

"At that time, father was adopted, but he was not the head of the family. Later, Yuan Kui and Yuan Ji were killed, and he got the opportunity."

"If the third brother finds out that you and I are working together, what he must do first is to kick me out of the game first, and then deal with you with all his strength."

"Of course, for the third brother, I can't compete for the position of head of the family anyway. Giving me a pavilion marquis can still win me over, which should be what he wants to see."

Yuan Tan thought about it carefully, and it seemed to be the same logic!

He said: "How much time will second brother take, and what help do you need from me?"

Yuan Xi smiled and said: "It's easy to talk to a smart person like elder brother."

Yuan Tan thought to himself, it's mutual, if you weren't a son of a concubine, I would really have to be wary of you.

Yuan Xi said bluntly: "Cultivating prestige."

"I do five points, and you have to say I'm ten points in front of father."

"Only in this way will I be feared by the third brother, and he will use the method of adopting me to a side branch to solve me first."

"Otherwise, it will be elder brother's turn to be adopted."

Yuan Tan groaned: "Cultivating prestige is not a simple matter. It will take several years at least, and decades at most. Is it still too late?"

Yuan Xi said: "Cultivating prestige is difficult if you say it's difficult, and easy if you say it's easy."

"If it's fast, it will only take a year and a half, or even a few months."

Yuan Tan was shocked: "Impossible!"

"Even a strong person like father took more than ten years to cultivate prestige, how can it be so easy!"

Yuan Xi smiled slightly: "Cao Mengde, father's ally, is about to attack Xuzhou again, right?"

"I heard that when he first attacked Xuzhou, he slaughtered several cities, and hundreds of thousands of people died."

"This time he attacks Xuzhou for the second time, I'm afraid it will be even more tragic."

"The Yuan family governs Jizhou with benevolence and righteousness. It is said that Cao Mengde's actions have also been criticized by the world."

"If I can stop him from attacking Xuzhou, wouldn't I be able to become famous among the gentry?"

After hearing this, Yuan Tan smiled dumbly: "Second brother is thinking too simply."

"The battle for Xuzhou is the key for father to let Cao Mengde stand in front to fight against Yuan Shu. How can you and I interfere?"

Yuan Xi sighed: "Elder brother, how do you compare to Cao Mengde?"

Yuan Tan's face was solemn: "This person widely accepts poor scholars and has ancestral connections. I am far inferior to him."

Hearing this, Yuan Xi smiled and said: "If elder brother becomes the master of Jizhou in the future, Cao Cao's Yanzhou will be next to him. If he gets Xuzhou and Yuzhou again, how will elder brother suppress him in the future?"

Yuan Tan's cold sweat broke out.

He said hoarsely: "And father..."

Yuan Xi directly asked, "Cao Cao is ten years younger than father, what if something happens?"

Only then did Yuan Tan's heart shake. Of course, he knew what kind of person Cao Cao was.

He is not even as good as his third brother. If he becomes the head of the family, how can he deal with Cao Cao?

Seeing that the time was ripe, Yuan Xi struck while the iron was hot and said: "My idea is to let Yanzhou and Xuzhou fall into chaos, so that Cao Cao will only have one state for the time being, and delay his pace of growing bigger and stronger."

Yuan Tan nodded, thinking that this was indeed a way, but if it affected the situation in the world so much, could second brother really do it?

Yuan Xi said: "Cao Cao's father, Cao Song, may be in Tao Qian's hands."

"If I were Tao Qian, I should have taken Cao Song and other members of the Cao clan to threaten Cao Cao."

"It's a pity that Tao Qian may not understand what kind of person Cao Cao is."