The Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Tan, intercepted Guo Jia's...

Chapter 15 Guo Fengxiao, a man of high emotional intelligence

Zhang He was expelled from the military camp and beaten with military rods. He was filled with shame and indignation. He returned to his tent and prepared to pack his belongings and leave that very night.

At this moment, the tent flap was lifted, and Guo Jia quietly entered.

"General Zhang, where are you headed?"

Guo Jia spoke in a calm tone and found a place to sit down.

"snort!"

Zhang He snorted coldly.

"Did the Chief Priest come here to laugh at me? Since Young Master Yuan looks down on my 'fancy moves,' what face do I have left to remain here!"

Guo Jia shook his head slightly and sighed:

"Jia has come to save the general. Does the general know that you just narrowly escaped death?"

"fart!"

Zhang He pointed at Guo Jia's nose and cursed him.

"Don't think I don't know you scholars love to resort to this kind of scare tactics, considering yourselves superior. What, that foolish young master isn't going to kill me, is he?"

"A muddle-headed young master?"

Guo Jia remained unmoved and scoffed.

"If the eldest son is confused, why do you think he tried to win you over that day? Was it so he could invite you back to watch him choose his concubines?"

Zhang He was also taken aback upon hearing this.

Yup!

The eldest son tried to win me over, promising me the position of general.

So why didn't he step down immediately after Qu Yi's death? Wasn't he waiting for the olive branch extended by the eldest son?

However, what the eldest son did today is truly incomprehensible.

The eagerness to recruit talent back then is completely different from what it is today.

Thinking of this, Zhang He scratched his head in confusion:

"If what you say is true, why is the eldest son so arrogant towards me?"

Guo Jia laughed loudly again and said:

"General, you must know that in Ye City today, the Yuan Shang lineage is very powerful, and the eldest son's side has eyes and ears everywhere."

Today, General, your martial prowess on the training ground is unparalleled, earning cheers from the entire camp. If our lord had seized the opportunity and given you an important position, what kind of secret report do you think Shen Pei would be receiving right now?

Zhang He was no fool; upon hearing this, he was struck dumb and stood frozen in place.

Shen Pei and others relentlessly pressured the eldest son, a fact that even he, being in the army, had heard of.

Guo Jia continued:

"The secret report will say: 'Zhang He publicly displayed his talent, and Yuan Tan is pleased with his abilities and wants to promote him. The two seem to have a tacit understanding.' General Zhang, do you think that after Shen Pei sees this secret report, he will allow you to peacefully assist the lord and go to Qingzhou?"

Zhang He broke out in a cold sweat instantly.

He knows all too well the methods of matchmaking!

"My lord humiliated you today, but in reality, he was saving you."

Guo Jia spoke slowly and deliberately.

"He denies your value in front of everyone, making Shen Pei's spies think that you have fallen out of favor and even have a rift with the lord. Only in this way can you stay 'safely'."

"My lord is looking at me, which means he wants me to explain the crux of the matter to you. Otherwise, with my lord's abilities, why would he need to go through all this trouble?"

Zhang He's baggage fell to the ground with a "thud".

A wave of immense guilt and shock washed over me.

He wronged Yuan Tan!

Guo Jia stood up and said in a low voice:

"My lord knows you are wronged and has asked me to tell the general: 'Conceal your sharpness for now and keep your weapons hidden. When the time is right, we will surely use your might to strike with thunderous force!' The general is a wise man; he will make his own decision on what to do."

……

Yuan Tan's military camp in the western suburbs of Ye City.

Xinpi, his brow furrowed, was the first to break the silence:

"Young Master, although the Imperial Censor has now put us at ease, the matter of provisions is still of paramount importance."

When Pi went to Zhongshan, the Zhen family only gave me the runaround, but avoided the important matter of paying grain taxes, only willing to provide 500 bushels of grain, which was just a drop in the bucket for the army.

If things become hopeless, I am willing to risk my life to see my lord and explain the situation clearly! Perhaps then I can salvage the situation.

"No."

Yuan Tan slowly shook his head.

"To complain to his father at this time would be tantamount to admitting his incompetence, which played right into Shen Pei's hands."

As soon as he finished speaking, Guo Jia, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly clapped his hands and chuckled.

"Your words demonstrate your profound insight and mastery of the art of concealing your abilities and biding your time!"

Guo Jia looked at Yuan Tan, his eyes shining with the light of a kindred spirit.

"Jia has been observing this from the sidelines recently. The Lord's actions, seemingly casual, are in fact meticulously planned and far-sighted, which Jia greatly admires!"

Before Yuan Tan and Xin Pi could ask, he recounted everything as if it were a treasure trove of knowledge:

"For example, he favored the beautiful concubine. Shen Song sent the Wu sisters, intending to use their gentle touch to wear down the lord's fighting spirit. But the lord played along, not only accepting their offer but also feigning indulgence and taking the beauties on outings."

This seemingly absurd move was actually extremely clever! It not only perfectly lulled Shen Pei into a false sense of security, but also served as a cover for the actual operation of heading north to find Zhao Yun and serendipitously acquire three hundred fine horses. This was a masterful act of turning poison into nectar!

"The second is to control Zhang He, to intimidate others!"

Guo Jia, upon reaching this point, almost clapped his hands in praise.

"On the training ground, Zhang He was fierce and valiant, and his talent was fully displayed. If our lord had accepted him at that time, he would have been feared by Shen Pei, which would have led to Zhang Junyi's death."

However, the lord did the opposite, and in front of everyone, he ruthlessly denigrated a famous general from Hebei, making him seem utterly worthless.

This move killed three birds with one stone: it saved Zhang He from being harmed; it intimidated the arrogant and fierce soldiers, temporarily putting the situation under control; and it convinced Shen Pei that his lord was incompetent, causing him to lower his guard.

Such insight into human nature and such decisive courage and wisdom already demonstrate the qualities of a great leader!

Guo Jia delivered a lengthy discourse, thoroughly analyzing Yuan Tan's recent actions. His high praise even surprised Yuan Tan himself.

After listening, Xin Pi suddenly understood, and his gaze towards Yuan Tan was filled with admiration. His previous worries about Yuan Tan being "obsessed with beauty" were completely swept away.

However, Yuan Tan's heart was filled with a different kind of turmoil.

"Fengxiao, Fengxiao... your eyes are far too sharp."

He thought to himself. When traveling with the beauties, he did indeed enjoy the gentleness of the Wu sisters;

When suppressing Zhang He, a trace of anger at being contradicted did indeed cross his mind.

He was fully aware of these selfish thoughts and desires.

Zhang Junyi was being stubborn back then!

They said they would only join their cause if they received a real general's position.

Now that they've been placed under my command, they're taking the opportunity to cause trouble and embarrass me.

If we don't give the other party a taste of their own medicine, wouldn't that be letting him off too easily?

While some of my previous actions were motivated by a desire to bide my time, the majority of my approach was to take things one step at a time.

It wasn't as profound as Guo Jia described.

As it turned out, Guo Fengxiao was someone who could see through appearances to the essence of things.

They've really gone overboard with their self-praise.

No wonder history can summarize "ten victories and ten defeats," which made Cao Cao very happy.

Guo Jia was not only incredibly resourceful, but his emotional intelligence was also exceptionally high.

Yuan Tan could hardly suppress the upward curve of his lips.

However, he still maintained a nonchalant demeanor.

"Since Fengxiao says so, he must have a good plan to teach me."

Guo Jia nodded, dipped his fingertip in wine, and wrote the two characters "Zhen Family" on the table, saying with absolute certainty:

"The key to breaking the food shortage lies not in Ye City, but in Zhongshan. Jia has two strategies: one is to feign an attack while the lord continues his travels with his concubines, thus lulling Shen Pei into a false sense of security; the other is to secretly advance directly towards the Zhen family of Wuji in Zhongshan!"

"The Zhen family is the wealthiest in Hebei, with mountains of grain stored up. Why doesn't my lord emulate Lü Buwei's strategy of hoarding rare commodities? If we can form a marriage alliance with the Zhen family and receive their full support, then my lord will have a foothold in Hebei, instead of being a rootless duckweed."

This is a superior strategy of using someone else's resources to lay eggs, and secretly building a solid foundation.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Tan repeatedly agreed.

If we can persuade the Zhen family to provide supplies, then the issue of supplies will be easily resolved.

As for a marriage alliance, it's probably not that easy; we'll have to proceed slowly and methodically.

Just then, a sentry came to report:

"Young Master! Shen Pei's carriage has arrived at the camp gate, saying he has come to reward the troops on the orders of Lord Yuan!"