Chapter Twenty-Five Return to Xuzhou

  On the thirteenth of July, Tao Ying, who had left Pengcheng for more than three months, led thirty light cavalry back to Pengcheng. This time, Tao Ying suddenly decided to return and did not inform anyone in advance, including Tao Qian, without reporting a word, temporarily handing over the Junzi Army to his younger brother Tao Ji, departing from Wuyuan County in the morning and arriving at Pengcheng just after noon.

  Tao Ying would not come back, it was impossible. Tao Ying received the news that on July 11th, Xu Fang took advantage of the opportunity when all officials in Xuzhou gathered at the governor's mansion to suddenly bring up the matter of establishing an heir. He suggested that Tao Kan, who was over sixty years old and weak with many illnesses, should establish a successor as soon as possible. Moreover, he directly suggested that Tao Kan establish his eldest son, Tao Shang, as the successor. Xu Fang, although unknown in the history of the Three Kingdoms, was a renowned figure in Xuzhou during Tao Kan's time, paired with the murdered governor of Guangling, Zhao Yu, and known as one of the two outstanding figures of Xuzhou. His reputation among the scholars of Xuzhou far exceeded that of Wang Lang and Zhang Zhao, who were also from Xuzhou, and even surpassed that of Zhuge Zhengdao. Therefore, after Xu Fang took the lead, he immediately won over countless responses from officials in Xuzhou, with some civil and military officials speaking out to support him, stirring up Tao Kan to establish Tao Shang as his successor.

  Xu Fang and other officials from Xuzhou fawned on Taoyan, but as the saying goes, "no one knows a son better than his father." No one was more aware of Tao Shang's character than Taoyan, nor did anyone understand the consequences of passing Xuzhou to Tao Shang better than Taoyan. Therefore, Taoyan almost instinctively rejected Xu Fang's request. However, Taoyan made another mistake at this time - he didn't explicitly declare that he wouldn't consider establishing a crown prince for the time being, but instead brought up Tao Ying's name and asked the officials of Xuzhou to compare the merits of Tao Shang and Tao Ying.

  Tao Qian mentioned the name of Tao Ying, which naturally hit the hearts of Mi Zhen and Mi Fang brothers. The two brothers took the lead in firing, listing various cups brought by the abolition of the eldest son and the establishment of the younger son throughout the ages. They firmly opposed Tao Qian's choice of tea table and requested that Tao Qian should not hesitate to establish Tao Shang as the heir, so that he could inherit the position of Xu State Shepherd in the future. Xu Fang also led a group of corrupt Confucians, firmly opposing Tao Qian's abolition of the eldest son and establishment of the younger son, and urging Tao Qian to immediately establish Tao Shang, refuting Tao Qian who was unreasonable and unconvincing, leaving him speechless.

  It was a great disappointment and surprise to Sima Zhao and others that when their plan seemed to be on the verge of success, Tao Kan's eldest son, Tao Shang, who held no official position, received news and rushed into the governor's mansion. He declared that he had no intention of succeeding to the throne and requested that Tao Kan establish his younger brother, Tao Ying, who had made great contributions to Xuzhou, as the heir apparent. Tao Shang even offered to be a humble assistant to his younger brother. However, this proposal was met with strong opposition from Sima Zhao and other officials in Xuzhou. In response, Tao Shang attempted to take his own life by drawing his sword, claiming that he had no intention of usurping the throne. Tao Kan intervened, stopping both Tao Shang and the officials, and decided not to consider the matter of establishing an heir apparent for the time being. This temporarily calmed down the storm surrounding the succession issue. Upon receiving this news, Tao Ying naturally had to rush back to Xuzhou immediately.

  He hastily entered Xuzhou City and hastily returned home, where Tao Ying suddenly ran into Cao Hong, the number one confidant of Tao Qian. Seeing Tao Ying's sudden appearance, Cao Hong, who had not received any news beforehand, was shocked and hurriedly came forward to pay his respects: "General Cao Hong has seen you, sir. When did you return to Xuzhou? Why didn't I know anything about it?"

  "I just arrived, there's something urgent to attend to, and I didn't have time to report to Father, so the General doesn't know." Tao Hua replied briefly, then asked: "General Cao, where are my father and brother now? I want to see them?"

  "The master is recuperating in the back house, and you can see him as soon as you go. As for the eldest young master, you probably won't be able to see him for a while - he was invited by General Miao's brothers to attend a banquet at their residence, and it will take until nightfall before he returns."

  "Going into battle with bare arms? I'm really eager to do so." Tao Ying let out a cold snort, and bowed his head to Cao Hong, saying: "Thank you, General, for your guidance. I'll go pay my respects to my father first, and then come back to pay my respects to the General tonight."

  "Slow down, young master." Cao Hong returned the courtesy, but Tao Ying didn't leave immediately. Instead, he had his personal guard bring over a small package and presented it to Cao Hong with both hands, smiling as he said: "General Cao, I almost forgot - this is a little local specialty that Tao Ying brought back from Wu County for you. Please, General, try some."

  "You're too kind, sir. Who am I, Cao Hong, to receive gifts from you?" Cao Hong pretended to decline, but Tao Ying forced the package into his hands. As soon as he took the small package, Cao Hong's hand involuntarily dropped down, and his eyes lit up. He quickly said in a low voice, "Sir, I don't dare accept this."

  "General Cao, please don't be polite. I'm not by my father's side, and he's old and sickly, relying on you and my brother to take care of him at all times. This is me thanking you on behalf of my father." Tao Ying said with a honey-like tone, then whispered: "Please rest assured, General, the gifts inside were obtained by me when I was taking care of that bandit's lair, they're clean."

  "What's going on?!" Cao Hong was shocked and blurted out: "Young master, could it be that the bandit who has been causing trouble is... you?"

  Cao General smiled and said, "Tao Ying, you've come from afar, over a hundred miles away from Luyi County, within the borders of Xiapi Commandery. What's this about?" Tao Ying smiled and replied, "Actually, I was thinking of asking General Cao, what happened to that group of bandits in Luyi County who all died mysteriously overnight? Was it really the doing of General Xu of Xiapi? If so, then General Xu is truly remarkable! Three or four hundred bandits were eliminated in one night, not a single one escaped."

  Cao Hong, although notorious for being a treacherous and cunning person in Xuzhou, was by no means foolish. Upon hearing Tao Ying's words, he pondered for a moment before responding with alacrity: "Young Master, you are absolutely right! It is indeed the brilliant work of General Xu Dan. I have just verified this matter and was about to report it to our lord, requesting that he reward General Xu Dan."

  "It's indeed General Xu, Tao Ying didn't guess wrong." Tao Ying smiled happily and bid farewell to Cao Hong with a bow. But after walking two steps towards the backyard, Tao Ying had another thought, feeling that he should try to probe his own brother, so he turned back to Cao Hong and said: "General Cao, can you please send someone to inform my brother at Bie Jia Fu that I've returned?"

  Cao Hong held the heavy little package, looked around cautiously, and quickly nodded and bowed to say: "Second Master, rest assured, I will arrange for someone to go to the other mansion immediately, and let the Eldest Master know that Second Master has returned."

  He went all the way to the back room where Tao Qian was, and as soon as he entered, he saw Tao Qian sitting at his desk, flipping through a mountain of bamboo slips. Tao Ying didn't dare to be slow, so he quickly ran to the front of the desk, knelt down on both knees, and paid respects: "Your son Tao Ying pays his respects to Father, it's been over 100 days since we last saw each other, how is Father's body?"

  "Ying'er, you're back?" Seeing his second son suddenly appear, Tao Qian was first startled, then quickly stood up and held onto Ying'er with both hands, asking delightedly: "When did my child return to Peng City? Why didn't you send someone to inform your father, so that I could also go with your elder brother to welcome you outside the city?"

  "The child misses his father and temporarily decides to return to Peng City to visit his father, so he didn't report to his father in advance." Tao Ying casually made up an excuse while carefully observing Tao Qian's condition. What made Tao Ying feel relieved was that after not seeing each other for more than three months, Tao Qian's illness had obviously improved, with less wheezing and coughing, and a slightly rosier complexion, his spirit also much more lively - from this it can be judged that this cheap old dad shouldn't kick the bucket in the near future."

  When Tao Ying was sizing up Tao Qian, Tao Qian was also sizing up his son who had not been seen for many days. After being apart for a hundred days, Tao Ying had clearly become darker and thinner, but his body seemed to have become more robust, no longer having the feeling of a pampered young master with too much flesh and too little bone. At the same time, Tao Qian also carefully discovered that his son's palms had thick calluses, from which it can be seen that during the period of military training in Wuyuan County, he must have treated himself as a new recruit to practice with the Junzi army officers, while also taking care of military affairs and government affairs in Wuyuan County. The hardships and complexities were beyond imagination for outsiders.

  "Good, good, good." With a satisfied smile, Tao Qian patted Tao Ying's shoulder in praise and laughed: "My son, to be honest, I thought you should have come back already, but I didn't expect you to return so quickly. It seems that my son's information is also very timely, ah. Good, good."

  Tao's face turned slightly red as he explained shamelessly, "Father misunderstood, it was actually nothing like that. I had already planned to come back and visit you, but military duties and government affairs were too busy, and I couldn't find the time."

  "It's alright, I'm much better now, you don't have to worry too much." Tao Ying smiled benevolently and didn't bother to expose his biological son's hypocritical face. He smiled again: "Besides, aren't you always writing to ask about my health? Having this kind of heart is enough, I'm already very satisfied."

  Tao Qian pressed Tao Ying to sit down on the other side of the desk, then sat down opposite him and asked with a smile: "My son hurried back, is it because of the matter of Xu state officials asking for me to establish an heir?"

  "The child dare not deceive his father, the child is indeed here for this." Tao Ying did not need to pretend to be stupid in front of Tao Qian, and directly nodded in acknowledgement.

  "What are you thinking, my son?" Tao Kui smiled and asked: "If your father follows the request of all officials and makes your elder brother the heir, do you agree or disagree?"

  "The child opposes." Tao Ying's direct opposition made Tao Qian extremely surprised and somewhat dissatisfied. Fortunately, Tao Ying added: "Father, the child is not opposed to father establishing an heir in order to compete with his brother for the position of eldest son. The child only thinks that if father establishes an heir, no matter whether he establishes his elder brother or the child as his heir, it will inevitably lead to treacherous and deceitful schemes."

  "What treacherous plan is Liu Xuande plotting?" Tao Qian's silver-white eyebrows rose, saying: "My child has something to say, speak straightforwardly without reserve."

  The child then stated: "In my opinion, the officials of Xuzhou requesting Father to establish an heir is likely a plot devised by the bandit Da Er. If Father falls for it and announces an heir, regardless of whether he chooses Brother or me, it will play right into Da Er's hands, providing him with an opportunity to seize Xuzhou. Father, are you aware of this?"

  Tao Qian remained calm and composed, saying: "My child, you can tell me in detail, no need to ask for Father's opinion."

  "Understood." Tao Ying was even more cautious and said, "I think that if Father makes the elder brother the heir, the bandit will definitely try to win him over with all his might. He'll first use wine, women, wealth, and flattery to corrupt him, fawn on him, and gain his trust. Then he'll sow discord between my brother and me, incite them to turn against each other, and reap the benefits when we're at odds."

  "When the time comes, if the child cannot contain himself and develops a greedy heart for his father's position as governor, doing something rebellious and unfilial, then Dà ěr Zéi will immediately gain fame by using military force to kill the child, weakening our Táo family's power. Dà ěr Zéi can then easily take over Xúzhōu again. And if the child contains himself and is willing to submit to his older brother as the leader, Dà ěr Zéi will have no excuse to act. As long as Dà ěr Zéi controls the older brother, he can use the older brother's name to first strip the child of his military power, then exile him to a remote and desolate place, far away from the strategic center of Xúzhōu. Or even directly kill him, eliminating future troubles, and then frame the older brother, using the child's name as an excuse to start a rebellion and take over the city. For Dà ěr Zéi, this is also a quick plan to occupy Xúzhōu."

  Tao Qian smiled and asked: "My son, is it really that easy for your brother to be controlled and manipulated by others?"

  Tao Ying also smiled and replied in a low voice, "Father, I secretly think that if you weren't worried about this matter, you would have probably established my elder brother as the heir long ago."

  Tao Qian smiled again and said: "Continue speaking. Suppose I make you the heir, how will Liu Xuande take advantage of the situation?"

  "If the father establishes a child as his heir, it would be even more beneficial for Dà ěr zéi." Tao Yingxiao said: "Firstly, the brothers of Mǐ Zhōu have something to say, saying that since ancient times, abolishing the eldest and establishing the youngest is a way to take advantage of chaos. They lead a group of corrupt Confucian scholars to petition against it every day, not stopping until Xu Zhou is in an uproar and the air is thick with smoke. Dà ěr zéi also takes the opportunity to get close to his older brother, if he can instigate his older brother to use military force to seize the throne, that would be best. If not, when Xu Zhou is on the brink of collapse, Dà ěr zéi will have plenty of opportunities to fish in troubled waters."

  Tao Qian leaned against the wall, slouching his body and pondering for a long time. Suddenly, he smiled and said to Tao Ying, "People say that no one knows their child better than their father, but Ying'er, you are getting more and more unpredictable, even I have to admit that your cleverness surpasses mine."

  "Father is overpraising, the child is also using a small person's heart to measure a gentleman's belly." Tao Ying modestly said: "The child still worries that perhaps the child has misunderstood Lord Guan, and Lord Guan actually didn't have these intentions."

  "Governor Tao doesn't know about these plans either." Tao Qian shook his head and smiled, "However, my child, perhaps you have misunderstood Governor Liu. He is a sincere and honest man, such schemes might be the work of the Mi brothers."

  "It's not that the young master is underestimating Cao Zhi and Cao Fang, they can't even think of such a trick." Tao replied respectfully: "To be able to come up with such a sinister plot to sow discord, within the borders of Xuzhou, there is no one else besides Lord Xuande."

  "Needless to say?" Tao Qian smiled and said, "My son can see through this plan from a hundred miles away. Can't my son use such a wonderful plan?"

  Tao Ying's face turned red, and he lowered his head in embarrassment, saying: "I'm just a bystander who happened to see through this plan. If I really had to set up such a vicious plot myself, I wouldn't be able to do it."

  Tao Qian smiled again, feeling more and more that this son was too much like himself. Then Tao Qian asked: "Ying'er, now that I have chosen to temporarily suspend the succession, neither expressing a desire to make your elder brother the successor nor announcing that you will be the successor, does Lord Xuan De still have any countermeasures?"

  "Of course." Tao Ying smiled easily: "And it has already begun, Father won't be unaware, will he? The Cao brothers have already invited the elder brother to a banquet. I believe that in a few days, someone will bring up the matter of establishing an heir in front of Father again. Perhaps someone will even spread rumors in Xuzhou City. In short, unless this topic is blown out of proportion, Xuande won't give up."

  "Just like what Father analyzed." Tao Qian nodded and sighed again: "What a pity, Ying Er, why are you Father's second son?"

  "Father need not worry, fortunately the child is only his second son, otherwise things might be more troublesome." Tao Ying answered respectfully: "Some people can't see the opportunity to muddy the waters and fish, it's hard to guarantee that they won't give birth to the idea of using force to seize power. And my Xu state army is now severely injured, with countless hidden dangers internally, a head-on confrontation would be difficult to win against the opponent."

  "You can see this point, it's very comforting for your father." Tao Qian patted Tao Ying's shoulder with satisfaction and said: "However, my son can rest assured that Xuzhou is still in my hands now. The establishment of the heir is a family matter for me, and no one else will dare to muddy the waters if I don't speak up."

  "Father misunderstood me again." Tao Ying smiled and said: "This time, I hurried back to Xuzhou not to persuade Father to temporarily not establish an heir, leaving opportunities for myself. This time, I came back to help Father dispel his worries——I have a plan that can make Xuande's scheme fall through, the officials of Xuzhou will be silenced, and then use his own way to counterattack him, making Xuande and his close allies suspicious of each other."

  "Is there such a wonderful plan?" Tao Qian's eyes lit up and he said with joy: "My son, what is this wonderful plan? Tell me quickly."

  "The child's plan is actually very simple." Tao Ying bowed his hands and smiled at Tao Qian: "First, the child asks Father to choose a successor."