Peach Sisters (2)
Three days passed.
Tao Qian, the warlord of Donghai Prefecture, died.
His body, past sixty, could no longer withstand the virulent poison. With the death of the man who had dominated Xu Province, Tao Qian's army was completely annihilated.
"Sister, please serve as chief mourner. You are the successor and new Governor of Xu Province."
"Of course."
The eldest son, Tao Shang, had taken his own life. The second, Tao Ying, had been murdered.
The Danyang Tao Clan lineage, once at its zenith, had been severed in an instant, leaving no blood relative to officiate the funeral. So we asked Liu Bei, newly appointed Governor of Xu Province.
A display. A piece of theater.
It was a means to proclaim her as Tao Qian's legitimate successor.
'Pathetic, really. If Tao Qian is watching from the Yellow Springs as the woman who incited his sons into a wretched fratricidal struggle presides over his funeral... Just imagining it sends a chill down my spine. And on top of that, after devoting half his life to bringing Xu Province prosperity and abundance, he has lost it all in one stroke.'
The fools who were deceived so stupidly were at fault.
In the chaos of a world in flames, how can you debate benevolence and righteousness?
Saying that didn't make the Danyang Tao Clan's end any less wretched, though.
A guilt I thought I had long since worn away flickered briefly. I showed nothing, knowing it was nothing but ugly hypocrisy.
"My lord...! My lord! How could you depart so heartlessly! I have not even repaid the boundless grace you showed me, a mere guest general, by entrusting me with such a heavy responsibility...! Will I truly be able to govern the people of Xu Province well in your stead? Already the weight of this burden presses down on my shoulders."
Two days later,
Tao Qian's funeral was held.
Appointed as the chief mourner, Liu Bei wept clear tears as she saw the deceased off.
"Hnk, hnk! My lord...!"
"Truly, Lady Liu Bei is a virtuous exemplar. To shed tears for our lord like that."
The many scholar-officials and local gentry at the funeral stared at Liu Bei, who grieved with what seemed to be her whole heart. Like an only daughter who had lost her father, she sobbed convulsively before Tao Qian's coffin.
A quiet, solemn weeping.
A drawn face full of heavy sorrow.
And clear tears sliding endlessly down pale cheeks.
Scores of people began to be swept up in Liu Bei's grief.
Even those harboring discontent and distrust toward Liu Bei—installed as the new Governor of Xu Province by order of Liu Chong's invading army—turned their hearts around. Before long, the many scholar-officials and local gentry at the funeral were fully immersed in Liu Bei's emotions, mourning the late Tao Qian.
'A beautiful face naturally draws emotional support easily... That's Liu Bei for you. She's using sorrow for the deceased to solidify her own standing and legitimacy.'
Tears.
What's more, tears from a woman of breathtaking beauty.
In every age and culture, a beautiful woman's tears have served as a secret weapon to captivate men at a single blow. As if proving the point, the sight of Liu Bei weeping in anguish drew the eyes of scholar-officials and local gentry one after another.
"I shall follow Lady Liu Bei. Surely the late Inspector of Xu Province would have wished for an honorable and righteous person of her excellent character to lead Xu Province."
"Have you heard? Cao Hong, who curried favor with the old lord and fostered corruption, has been stripped of office and banished."
Xu Province, like Yang Province, was a region where the influence of scholar-officials and local gentry ran deep. To fully control Xu Province, their support was essential.
Mi Zhu and Sun Qian had been firmly drawn in as close aides.
Chen Gui and his son Chen Deng had indirectly signaled they would observe the situation for now.
Many scholar-officials and local gentry backed Liu Bei. Still, vocal opposition held that some guest general who rolled in out of nowhere had no business being appointed Governor of Xu Province.
What steps would Liu Bei take?
I decided to step back and watch her capabilities unfold.
* * *
She offered an appeasement policy: halving taxes and massively scaling back corvée labor. The people of Xu Province, terrified by the annihilation of Tao Qian's army, gradually regained order and stability.
Of course, it wasn't entirely smooth.
Small-scale disturbances resisting Liu Bei's rule flared up simultaneously.
-We will not hand over Xu Province so easily!
-We can't let Xu Province be stolen by a cadet imperial clan bitch who latched onto the southern traitor!
Opposition and discontent were inevitable when power changed hands. Remnants of Tao Qian's army stirred, and even a revolt broke out with Kong Rong, Governor of Beihai, pulling strings from behind.
Ominous and unstable.
Liu Bei's army still had only a faint grip.
The situation was no different from starving beggars swarming a rich banquet. In the end, surrounding warlords who caught word of Tao Qian's army's destruction were stirring up the borders to grab even a sliver more territory.
"Lady Liu Bei, Kong Rong's forces that invaded Langya Kingdom have been repelled."
A woman with a lithe figure reported, offering a salute.
Disheveled gray hair that stood out with a wild beauty.
Amber eyes shining coolly.
Pale skin that even gave a faintly chilling impression.
And features carved as if by a sharp blade.
A wolf.
Her appearance brought a wolf to mind.
It was like looking at a wolf that ranges snowy plains hunting wild beasts.
'But isn't her outfit too provocative...? Her chest is entirely exposed. She's just wrapped bandages around it to cover herself. Hmm, and on top of that, she rivals Liu Bei and Guan Yu. A real overflowing beauty.'
Sway, sway—
Every step she took made the bandage-wrapped chest shake.
An enormous presence.
Enough to naturally pull your eyes right there.
Countless men must have stared fixedly at her full chest over the years. Yet the warrior woman with her gray hair hanging down only kept a face as cold as a sheet of ice.
"Well done, Zilong."
Zhao Yun.
A brave general, claw and fang.
Cavalry commander who symbolized the Kingdom of Shu.
One of the Five Tiger Generals.
Courage Incarnate, who broke through the enemy lines and rescued A Dou.
Among Three Kingdoms readers, there can be no one who dislikes 'Zhao Zilong of Changshan.' Among the many heroes of the Three Kingdoms with their glaring flaws and grave mistakes, Zhao Yun is the only figure recorded as flawless.
"Is this your first time meeting face-to-face? Zilong, this is the person to whom I have sworn allegiance. My lord now, and someday my husband."
"My seniors gave me notice in advance."
Seniors.
She must mean Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.
The beauty with a wolf-like sharpness bowed her head, offering courtesy.
"I heard you decided to stay in Pengcheng rather than return to Beiping. Welcome to the ranks. I'll appoint you General of the Standard Gate of Xu Province immediately."
"...Understood."
The Five Prefectures of Xu Province.
The core staff including Mi Zhu and Sun Qian.
And Zhao Yun.
Excellent pieces had come in all at once.
Liu Bei's army spread its influence by rapidly absorbing Tao Qian's army's legacy. They focused especially on taking in the officers and soldiers of Tao Qian's army who had sensed the tide turning and scattered.
85 points.
The handling was superb.
Liu Bei's charisma, the sworn sisters' formidable might, and the administrative skill of the Jian-Sun-Mi trio meshed tightly, rapidly stabilizing Xu Province after it had briefly fallen into an undefended territory.
'I thought they'd stumble at first since they've been wandering like vagabonds with no fixed base... Instead they're fighting better than I expected. Hmm, I can leave Xu Province to Liu Bei's army as things stand. Even if the neighboring warlords invade, Liu Bei's army as it is now should handle them skillfully.'
Xu Province was conquered.
The next step was to plan for Jiangdong.
I intended to leave Liu Bei's army in place here and take Sun Jian's army to conquer the region.
Chen Wen, Inspector of Yang Province.
And a host of warlords held sway in Jiangdong.
In direct contrast to Tao Qian's army, the warlord that had dominated Xu Province, Chen Wen's army was nothing but a figurehead boss tiptoeing around the many warlords of Yang Province. I had received reports that after a reinforcing army of twenty thousand was routed last time, his influence had completely evaporated.
"Xuande! Ah, Your Highness the Crown Prince is here too...!"
Liu Bei's army as it stood now felt reliable.
Just as I was feeling that relief,
Jian Yong appeared, urgency written all over his sharp voice.
"What is it? Report."
"W-well... I regret to inform you, but a slightly troublesome incident has occurred."
What's this.
Something happen?
Jian Yong couldn't hide his consternation, trailing off and mumbling the end of his sentence.
"Trail off one more time and I'll assemble the whole Jian-Sun-Mi Trio."
"General Zhang Fei is in a drunken stupor and flogging the soldiers!"
The reason Zhao Yun was recorded as a flawless military officer.
It was because her predecessors, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, possessed the martial valor of a Foe of Ten Thousand alongside a multitude of flaws. Their arrogant contempt for common men and their combative personality that swung fists before words—those were the cause.
Right.
Now that's Liu Bei's army.
Liu Bei's army was not a group that fit the image of obedient, smart model students at all. They were much closer to a gang of thugs who roamed in a pack causing every kind of trouble.
Training, and morale boosting.