Zhang Rang respectfully placed the tea in front of the three men. They looked at each other. They did have some skill, but it was impossible to make Zhang Rang act this way.
"Imperial attendant, what is so important that you couldn't just say it? We brothers have taken your silver, and we will do our best!" one of them said hurriedly, cupping his hands.
"There's nothing important. It's just that I've troubled you three this time, and I've also caused trouble for Sun Jian!" Zhang Rang rubbed his face fiercely. "I'm truly ashamed. This is just an apology with some wine!"
Seeing that Zhang Rang had lowered himself to this extent, how could the three dare to retreat? They quickly picked up their teacups and said in a hurry, "Since it's the imperial attendant inviting us for tea, if we three don't drink, wouldn't that be ungrateful!"
The three of them tilted their heads and drank the tea. After quickly eating a few pastries, they spoke as the sky began to darken.
"We brothers will not disturb the imperial attendant and will take our leave!" As one of them cupped his hands and turned to leave, he heard Zhang Rang call out, "Wait!"
"Since you three valiant men have come to assist me, why not stay here? Why rush off in such a hurry!" Zhang Rang said with a forced smile. "Moreover, do you three brothers think you can still leave? Dreaming!"
"Zhang Rang, we call you imperial attendant out of respect. If you don't know what's good for you, we are confident we can take your head within three steps!" one of them cursed angrily. "You, a eunuch who can't even tie a chicken, do you think you can block our way?"
"If it were any other time, I naturally wouldn't dare to speak, but now! Humph humph!" Zhang Rang touched the coronet on his head and poured out a bottle of powder. "Do you all recognize what this is?"
"You, you, how vicious!" The three's eyes turned red as they glared at Zhang Rang and cursed, "My brothers and I have fallen into your hands today!"
"Humph humph, you three have done so many unspeakable things for me over the years, you should have died long ago!" Zhang Rang said coldly. "This is a heaven-sent opportunity, how could I miss it!"
Seeing that Sun Jian's body was gone, the three felt a little relieved. They forced themselves to remain calm. "Sun Jian has seen us. Are you not afraid of people from Jiangdong coming?"
"Jiangdong?" Zhang Rang laughed heartily. "If it weren't for Sun Jian, you wouldn't have ended up on this path to death. Don't file the wrong complaint to the King of Hell!"
One of them's pupils shrank, and he stammered, "Could it be that Sun Jian told you to deal with us? How is that possible!"
The bearded man forced himself to stand and placed all the silver in front of Zhang Rang, begging urgently, "Spare my life, spare my life!"
"Finally, a smart one. You know I didn't act immediately because I wanted to give you a chance!" The teacup lid gently closed. "Speak, where is the silver you took all these years!"
"Pah, you dog! We'd rather die than tell you!" one of them spat fiercely. "Besides, what are you?"
"Kill him!" Zhang Rang pointed gently with his finger, and then added with narrowed eyes, "Don't let him die too easily!"
The bearded man watched his brothers die like stray cats and dogs, already trembling all over. What's more, the screams were constantly ringing in his ears, and slowly, even his teeth couldn't stop chattering.
But after all, they were his brothers. After a while, tears slowly slid down the bearded man's face. Of course, that was all!
"And you, are you still not going to speak?" Zhang Rang asked the other person coldly. "One of your brothers has already died here!"
"You scoundrel!" The other person roared and bit off his tongue, spitting it out.
Zhang Rang lightly pointed. "It's useless, kill him!"
In the blink of an eye, only the bearded man was left among the three brothers. The bearded man tried hard to lift his head and stare at Zhang Rang. "Imperial attendant, please be gentle with me. I'll do anything, really! I'm just your dog!"
"Good boy, you know what I want!" Zhang Rang extended his hand, and the bearded man immediately lowered his head into Zhang Rang's hand. "Woof woof woof!"
Zhang Rang couldn't help but laugh heartily. "Interesting, truly interesting. What I want!"
The bearded man immediately understood and, like pouring beans from a bamboo tube, told him clearly where the silver was hidden.
"Good. If your two brothers were like you, they wouldn't have died here!" Zhang Rang moved his eyes slightly, and someone immediately went to look for the silver.
"Come here. Since you've handed over the silver, you're mine. Don't worry," Zhang Rang said with a smile. "Here, have some wine!"
The bearded man held his wine cup, trembling constantly. He just didn't dare to drink it. Zhang Rang picked up the wine and took a sip without hesitation. He tilted the teacup slightly, and the bearded man hurriedly knelt on the ground and kowtowed.
"Old ancestor, how dare I question you? It's just that..." the bearded man said hurriedly. "From now on, my life is yours!"
The bearded man hurriedly gulped down the wine and then quickly knelt in front of Zhang Rang, gently rubbing his head against Zhang Rang's knees. Zhang Rang stroked the bearded man's head and said affectionately, "Don't worry, I'll let you go once the silver is recovered!"
Not long after, a young eunuch hurried back with the silver and placed it in front of Zhang Rang. Zhang Rang grinned. "Good boy, I'll let you go now!"
The bearded man kowtowed repeatedly and was about to leave, but Zhang Rang quickly stopped him. "Wait, don't be in such a hurry!"
"Old ancestor!" the bearded man shouted, tears welling up in his eyes!
"Go, go!" Zhang Rang waved his hand gently. "Leave and don't come back. What happened today..."
"Today, I'll just sleep at home and pretend I know nothing," the bearded man said quickly. Zhang Rang nodded slightly. The bearded man hurried to leave. Before he had taken a few steps, a young eunuch thrust a dagger fiercely into his back.
The bearded man spat out a mouthful of blood and fell to the ground with wide eyes. The young eunuch dragged the corpse and threw it directly into the fire. Zhang Rang stood up and said coldly.
"Serving His Majesty, being too stupid is unacceptable. Of course, being too smart is also unacceptable!" Zhang Rang walked to the room where Sun Jian was being kept.
"Your son has learned. I respectfully see off the old ancestor!"
Zhang Rang ignored the voices and arrived in front of Sun Jian. Coincidentally, Sun Jian had just gotten up. Upon seeing Sun Jian, he let out a cold laugh. "I didn't expect we'd meet again. How about it, do you still want to kill me this time?"
"How dare I," Zhang Rang said with lowered brows. "At that time, I was just blinded by my own greed, which is why I did those things. I beg General Sun's forgiveness!"
"If there's anything you need to say, just say it directly. Why go through so much trouble? I'll agree if I can," Sun Jian said, sitting on the bed. "Why did you do this?"
Sun Jian reached to lift his brocade boots. Zhang Rang slapped the young eunuch on the head and berated him, "Foolish thing! To just watch the General put on his own shoes! Have I spoiled you too much!"
The young eunuch hurried over and knelt on the ground, carefully putting on Sun Jian's shoes. Zhang Rang then said, "General, to be frank, Jiangdong occupies a corner of the land. Why not cooperate with His Majesty? Unification of the Central Plains is just around the corner!"
Sun Jian looked up and glared at the imperial attendant. "Are you trying to trick me with the same old excuse again?"
"If they were ordinary commoners, they naturally wouldn't be worthy of my cooperation. But General of Jiangdong, our statuses are naturally equal!" Zhang Rang pushed away the young eunuch and carefully put on Sun Jian's shoes. "General, be careful. Liangzhou has heavy dampness. Be careful not to hurt your feet!"
"This?" Sun Jian glanced at the young eunuch. "I'm afraid there are ears within the walls."
"Idiot, you dare to serve the General? Get lost!"
Zhang Rang cursed angrily, and the young eunuch was dragged out.
"I never thought the imperial attendant would be so ruthless to his subordinates!" Sun Jian said jokingly. "If I weren't the General of Jiangdong, I'm afraid I'd be eaten to the bone."
"General, you shouldn't look down on yourself," Zhang Rang said with a smile. "Are you interested in working with me? No, are you interested in working with His Majesty!"
"I can cooperate with you, Zhang Rang, but why?" Sun Jian said with a cold laugh. "Do you have the final say?"
Zhang Rang smiled obsequiously. "My status is naturally not enough, but is His Majesty's status enough? Moreover, we have a common enemy!"
"How are you so sure I'll cooperate with you? Why shouldn't I cooperate with that person?" Sun Jian said with a smile, testing him slightly!
Zhang Rang's mind was like a rudder, and he couldn't speak a word. It was true that they had a common enemy in Ye Feng, but if Sun Jian decided to remain in his corner, he would be walking into a trap.
After thinking it through, Zhang Rang said sheepishly, "If the General doesn't want to cooperate with me, he wouldn't have said such a thing!"
"You are a smart person!" Sun Jian threw out a sentence with an unclear meaning. "It's just that smart people often die early!"
"I'm certain I won't, because I've chosen the right person this time!"
Sun Jian wanted to use Zhang Rang's status to obtain a legitimate general's title and change his awkward position of not being properly recognized. If possible, he could even use this opportunity to gain land in the north and slowly plot.
As for Zhang Rang, he wanted to use Sun Jian's military strength and accumulated favors to completely drive Ye Feng out. Each had their own agenda, and in the end, both would fail.
A map was slowly unfurled, and the two men looked at the same place, then looked up and smiled at each other. Regardless of north or south, to unify the realm, Jingzhou was the stepping stone!
To conquer the world, one must first take Jingzhou. To take Jingzhou, one must first take Jiangxia!
"When can the imperial attendant arrange for His Majesty to meet me?" Sun Jian asked with a smile. "If not, I'm afraid the imperial attendant's sincerity is quite fake!"
"General, do not worry, there will be time. However, now is indeed not the best time," Zhang Rang said carefully, apologizing. He couldn't afford to offend the current Sun Jian.
"I'll trust you this one time," Sun Jian said with a cold smile.
Zhang Rang had managed to handle the situation, but what about Ye Feng? That was no easy opponent either. If he offended Ye Feng, Jiangdong would also suffer!
Zhang Rang silently handed a half-carved jade pendant with the surname Sun inscribed on it to Sun Jian. "This is the token of our agreement. Please keep your word, General."
"You!" Sun Jian's expression changed. It was impossible to please both sides. He could only sigh heavily.
"If you cannot help this General, this General will surely make sure you die without a burial place!" Sun Jian said with the softest tone and the hardest words. "Even His Majesty won't be able to protect you, I guarantee it!"