Xu Province Conflict (1)
My elder brother would someday become the Inspector of Xu Province.
From the very beginning, Father had designated my elder brother as his heir in Xu Province. That was why, since childhood, he spared no expense or personal effort, spending enormous sums to invite renowned masters as his tutors.
Father showed favoritism only toward my elder brother.
The local gentry, including Mi Zhu and Sun Qian, also supported my elder brother.
Furthermore, the people of Xu Province also wanted my gentle-natured elder brother to inherit the power.
There was no room for me to interfere.
It was impossible to overturn the already established succession.
Moreover, Tao Ying himself knew that he was inferior timber, unworthy of being the heir. That was why he constantly caused Father grief and committed misdeeds, such as associating with Zhang Kai, a Commandant of bandit origin.
"You... you mean you will make me the heir of Xu Province?"
Gulp—
Tao Ying asked, swallowing dryly as he stole glances at breasts as large as watermelons.
The white-haired beauty nodded in response.
"Yes. I now possess enough power to back Young Master Tao Ying as the new heir."
Having beheaded the bandit Que Xuan and completely crushed tens of thousands of bandits, Liu Bei had risen to become a hero of Xu Province. Just like Tao Qian in his youth, who was acclaimed Inspector of Xu Province after defeating the Yellow Turban Rebels.
It was entirely possible.
The woman before him had instantly gained tremendous influence.
Moreover, if Gongsun Zan, Governor of Beiping, who had dispatched reinforcements, assisted him, he would surely gain the power to overturn the established succession.
Until now, he had never once harbored the ambition to usurp his elder brother's position.
But,
whenever the sweet proposal, like a devil's whisper, tickled his ears, the flames of greed began to spread.
"You cannot... cannot depose the elder brother to establish the younger...! Are you telling me to commit injustice now?! On top of that, Father has already designated my elder brother as the heir—overturning that would be unfilial! Compared to my elder brother, who is praised by all, I am nothing more than an incompetent commoner. No matter how much of a rogue I am, leading street ruffians... I will never commit injustice or unfilial impiety!"
He could not commit injustice, nor filial impiety.
How could a younger brother push aside his elder and overturn the succession?
Tao Ying shouted as if squeezing out his voice.
It was his last remaining conscience and reason.
It was a truly pitiful struggle.
The sight of the young master trembling all over, trying to protect his last shred of conscience, was like a wild beast completely drenched in a downpour.
"The esteemed Inspector of Xu Province was not only appointed Governor of Xu Province, but also General Who Stabilizes the East. On top of that, he was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Lüyang, becoming a new feudal lord of the Han Dynasty. Someday, when Young Master Tao Shang inherits the power, he will rule the whole world as a feudal lord commanding the Central Plains, won't he?"
He would keep hundreds of beautiful wives and concubines,
seize the world's rarest treasures, gold, silver, and jewels,
and be recorded in history as an eternal sovereign, receiving the cheers and support of all people for a lifetime.
Liu Bei tapped her own cheek with her delicate fingers.
At that, Tao Ying's eyes fluttered, and he repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fists.
"Young Master Tao Ying, are you not also the child of the esteemed Inspector of Xu Province? Why must you concede the succession to Young Master Tao Shang simply because you are the younger brother? You were born bearing the bloodline of a hero through heaven's grace—if you meekly give up power just like that, you will regret it for the rest of your life."
"Kuh!"
Liu Bei's question had pierced straight through his heart.
She was right.
She had touched a grudge he had been suppressing all along.
Unless he was a Taoist hermit who had forsaken the world, how could he not feel desire?
If he overturned the succession, Father's offices and titles would fall right into his hands. He would seize everlasting glory as a feudal lord of the Han Dynasty, wielding absolute power.
"But why, Major of a Separate Command, do you support me, a mere second son? If you supported my elder brother, you would ascend to the core of power smoothly without any particular difficulties."
"I am ashamed to admit this... but I begged Young Master Tao Shang to make me the mistress of Xu Province in exchange for my support of the succession. Ultimately, I was refused."
"A-ah, mistress...?! You mean my elder brother refused the proposal of the Major of a Separate Command, who was willing to sacrifice her dignity?!"
"Yes, he did."
It was unbelievable.
I knew he was a dull, White-Faced Scholar, but...
To think he would refuse a peerless beauty's proposal to become his lawful wife.
Was he impotent? Or perhaps a sodomite who preferred men?
'If I accept her proposal, not only can I overturn the succession biased toward my elder brother, but I can also take this beauty before me, as beautiful as a fairy descended to the mortal world, as my wife...! I can freely indulge in her voluptuous breasts, slender waist, and plump buttocks!'
The one desire that surpassed his lust for wealth and fame was carnal desire. Lust boiled within him at the hope that he could take this peerless beauty, her pure white hair elegantly cascading down, as his lawful wife.
Greed for wealth and power rained in his mind,
and lust to possess the beauty before him rained in his loins.
His initial boastful words, "How could a younger brother usurp his elder brother's position?!" which he had never meant from the heart, naturally vanished. Every time he smelled the sweet, natural scent emanating from her soft, pure white skin, he felt himself stiffen below.
"H-how... how can I overturn the succession?"
"It's simple."
Tao Ying, having finally surrendered to his desires, asked in a trembling voice.
Liu Bei gave a provocative smile in response.
"Why don't you, Young Master Tao Ying, personally... remove the obstacle blocking the succession?"
She boldly loosened her collar.
As she did so, a sweeter, denser natural scent wafted out, and her large breasts swayed, revealing her pure white skin. Having witnessed the lewd sight right before his eyes, Tao Ying swallowed dryly.
Her cleavage.
She took out something tucked between her breasts.
A small vial glowing with a jade light.
The contents inside could be easily predicted from their previous conversation.
"A-are you...! Are you telling me to assassinate my elder brother?!"
"It is a poison that gradually weakens a person until death. Since it is not a deadly poison that kills instantly, there is no chance of being discovered. If you steadily administer a few drops, even the healthiest man will not last three days."
There would be no repercussions whatsoever. It would be ruled a death by illness.
It was not difficult.
He just had to drop a few drops of poison into his food.
With a moment of courage, he could seize the status of a feudal lord and absolute power.
Liu Bei handed the vial containing the poison to Tao Ying. Tao Ying held the vial glowing brilliantly with jade light in his hand, staring intently at it while his shoulders trembled.
* * *
Liu Chong's army focused the attention of Tao Qian's forces stationed at Pengcheng, burning down all the supply depots established in Donghai Kingdom and Guangling Prefecture. They were causing a disturbance outside so Liu Bei's forces, who were plotting internal strife, could move with ease.
The attempt was excellent.
The officers of Tao Qian's army were frantic, on high alert against Liu Chong's army.
Fierce flames blazed over fifty li.
Having witnessed it, Tao Qian's army prepared for an all-out war, bracing for Liu Chong's army, which was expected to surge in like a tide.
"Crown Prince."
"Yes."
When I was reading military treatises alone in camp,
the red-haired girl assigned to guard me cautiously approached.
"Is it truly safe to just trust Liu Bei like that? O-of course, I wouldn't dare commit an unforgivable sin by doubting Your Highness's insight...! But to be honest, I am a little uneasy about whether we can keep avoiding a direct confrontation while trusting solely in Liu Bei's forces, who promised to collaborate."
"Of course you would think that. Liu Bei's forces followed us on campaign for only a few months."
These turbulent times were an age where one could not even blindly trust blood relatives.
Much less Liu Bei, a relative so distant that it was meaningless to calculate the degree of kinship.
Furthermore, Liu Bei's forces had not even been formally appointed as subordinates.
The Southern Heir, who had always acted boldly, was avoiding a direct confrontation. It was only natural to feel agitated, as the atmosphere in the camp had become unsettled after Que Xuan's horde was annihilated by Liu Bei's surprise attack.
'It is strange to fully trust Liu Bei, but...'
『Name: Liu Bei (Xuande)』
-Ability Scores
Leadership: 78
Martial Power: 75 (72+3)
Intelligence: 73
Politics: 78
Charm: 99
-Skills
Resolute and Magnanimous: An innate talent for grasping the psychology of crowds. Greatly increases the success rate of domestic affairs and political commands.
Recognizing Talent and Honoring Worthies: An innate demonic charm for recruiting talented individuals. Discovers all out-of-office talents and can recruit all figures except hostile ones with a very high probability.
Indomitable Will: A sovereign does not bow his head. Any ruler with Charm 99 or lower who recruits Liu Bei will inevitably suffer misfortune.
-Item
Twin Swords
Martial Power: +3
The paired swords used by Liu Bei, forged together with the Green Dragon Crescent Blade and the Eighteen-Foot Serpent Spear.
'The third and final trait, Indomitable Will. No matter how I look at it, it's brutal. There's no one in the Three Kingdoms setting with higher Charm than Liu Bei. Except for a custom officer with all stats set to 100, and a character whose Charm is fixed at 100 by acquiring the Imperial Jade Seal... She really is a plague.'
A plague.
Any ruler with Charm 99 or lower who wins over Liu Bei will die.
A few months,
or maybe a few years.
They will die an early death, even before their lifespan set in the game.
There was no way Liu Bei, who possessed a broken skill that increased the success rate of domestic affairs and political commands to a very high degree, could fail at collusion. Because Liu Bei's arguments and persuasion, with Charm reaching 99, are imprinted on the other party at a level close to hypnosis and brainwashing.
I wonder how she will finish off Tao Qian's army.
For the next fifteen days, we decided to wait for the signal from Liu Bei.