I went to see because the neighbor's house collapsed, but when I returned, my house...?
The streets of Luoyang hummed with vibrant energy.
In the past, when Zhang Rang had held sway, the city had felt like it was dying on its feet. But after Yuan Shu arrived, this place had transformed into a sun-drenched place full of life.
Children raced around laughing,
and merchants openly hawked their wares in loud voices without glancing over their shoulders.
Shops overflowed with foodstuffs and goods,
and the faces of the people were all lit with a bright vitality.
The city was utterly changed from the days when the Ten Regular Attendants ran rampant and threw their weight around.
And at the center of it all, a group of people patrolled the city just as they did every day.
"Oh, General Liu, you've come!"
"Ma'am, is business treating you well?"
"General Guan, I was truly grateful for that business the other day. Thanks to you, the thugs who used to cause trouble have completely vanished."
"I did only what needed to be done, Elder."
"Lord Yide. Don't stand on ceremony—try at least one of these. Money? Oh, just put it away. Thanks to you, my shop is back, and my grandson's life was saved. This is the least I can do in return."
"Hahaha! If you insist, I'll enjoy it. Thanks, Granny!"
Accompanied by soldiers, three female generals circulated through the city, receiving the cheerful attention and greetings of the common people.
The Peach Sisters.
Thanks to their efforts—including holding the office of Changshui Colonel and managing public order in Luoyang—the troublemaking thugs and officials who had been picking baseless fights and causing mayhem until recently were now, for the most part, neatly sorted out.
Filth they hadn't yet cleaned up still clung to corners of the court, but at least the scum who used to run wild in the middle of the streets in broad daylight had been decisively "cleansed."
It was a course similar to Yuan Shu's own stint as Changshui Colonel in the past, but the circumstances were somewhat different compared to back then when Yuan Shu had struggled alone with only an underpowered colonel's authority.
After the occupation of Xu Province, all three of them now held general's rank.
Because of this, the scale of troops they could command was fundamentally different, and more than anything, the highest water source himself—Yuan Shu—was actively pushing them forward right now.
With things as they were, even families of considerable repute or high-ranking officials had no choice but to step aside if they had any sense.
Thus, bolstered by Yuan Shu's power and their own ability, the three and their subordinates pressed on with "cleansing" every corner of Luoyang today.
But then...
"By the way, Ma'am, have you perchance heard that news?"
"What news?"
"The rumor says war is likely to break out before long."
"Hmm, so it's finally come to that, has it?"
"Nom nom mhm... General-in-Chief Yuan Shu—nom—said it would be so, that we can't just leave the traitors... gulp. Ahem... forever."
"I see... I hope you'll all be careful... So where are they saying you'll be sent this time?"
People asked, curiosity filling their questions.
To this, the same location tumbled from the lips of the Three Sisters, each deep in conversation in a different spot.
A location that anyone keeping a close eye on the balance of power under Heaven would nod at but still harbor some doubt about.
That place was...
*
"Wh... What did you say? Yuan Shu, that bastard? Coming here?"
"That is correct, Your Highness. According to our spies' reports, grain transport for this purpose has already begun from Ji Province, and soldiers are starting to mass in Nanyang."
Jing Province.
Situated at the very heart of the Han Dynasty,
it was a hub of transportation and possessed an economy and population as mighty as its vast territory.
And right now, the man who ruled over it as Vassal King—
Liu Biao—found herself seized by deep consternation at the news that had suddenly arrived.
"Is... is this certain, Cai Mao? Could the spies have made some kind of mistake..."
"They say the rumor has already spread far and wide, starting from Luoyang. High ministers with connections are all telling the same story."
"Why, these sons of..."
Liu Biao began grinding her teeth at her brother-in-law Cai Mao's report.
He had, indeed, accepted a title as Vassal King under the will of the Emperor of Bing Province. But even so, he had assumed the Luoyang faction would need some time before they could move against Jing Province.
For one thing, their biggest enemies—Bing Province and You Province—were right there.
On top of that, there was also Yang Province (Jiangdong), where relations had become openly hostile after the recent incident in Xu Province.
Liu Biao had calculated that under these circumstances, there was no reason for them to directly threaten her, who had been quietly keeping to her own territory until now.
In fact, anticipating this, Liu Biao had recently been stationing troops along the border with the neighboring region of Yang Province.
With orders to cross straight into Yang Province and render aid the moment any trouble arose.
That fool Liu Yao had made the blunder of standing by and letting Xu Province fall, allowing the enemy's blade to reach right under their chin.
Unlike that Liu Yao, he himself knew full well that if Yang Province fell, Jing Province would not be safe either—so he had prepared well in advance.
However.
As if to mock Liu Biao, that bastard Yuan Shu now appeared to be gearing up for an attack on Jing Province in league with his own older sister.
If he sat here dazed like this, they might soon face a situation like, "I went to watch because the house next door collapsed. When I came back, my own house had collapsed. The moment I saw it, I burst into tears."
Feeling as if the soles of her feet had caught fire, Liu Biao began issuing orders urgently.
"Send word to Wen Ping right now. Reroute the troops we've deployed to Yang Province toward Nanyang at once."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Receiving the order, Cai Mao moved with haste.
Watching his retreating figure, Liu Biao seethed with anxiety and ground her teeth audibly.
'How dare you bare your fangs at this Liu Biao? Fine... let's see who comes out on top. They say even a dog gets the upper hand in its own front yard. I shall personally show those wretches the majesty of the King of Jing Province!'
*
The highest elder of the court and mother of the emperor, Empress Dowager He.
After taking a light sip of the tea placed before her,
she gazed at the woman in official robes seated across from her at a small table and spoke in a calm voice.
"The tea is truly excellent. A gift worthy of Minister Wang—its fragrance is deep yet without any disorder."
"I am awed, Your Majesty. My father will be most gratified that you enjoy it so."
"The tea leaves are fine, but the skill of the one who brewed them is even finer. Truly... to possess talents as remarkable as your lovely face—the phrase 'peerless beauty of the eight directions' would not be wasted."
"You make me blush."
The young woman presented herself modestly in response to the Empress Dowager's praise.
Diaochan.
Though still young, she was a girl whose exquisite beauty and brilliant intellect were enough to astonish even Empress Dowager He.
Having recently entered government service on the recommendation of her father, Minister Wang, she continued her conversation with the Empress Dowager in a composed voice.
"That aside... have you heard the news? The talk that war will break out again before long."
"Yes, indeed. There was already much talk among the officials about it today. They say General-in-Chief Yuan Shu will soon strike Jing Province alongside General Yuan Shao in Nanyang."
"You are well-informed. I myself heard the news not long ago through General Sun. It is also said that because of this, General Sun is very likely to depart Luoyang alongside General Yuan Shu."
"Though he holds the office of General of the Guards, General Sun is strictly speaking the right arm of General-in-Chief Yuan Shu. Moreover, he has already proven his ability in the previous Battle of Hulao Pass, so it is likely unavoidable."
"Yes... I suppose it is."
Dispatching the General of the Guards, whose duty was to protect the Imperial Family, on a distant campaign was hardly welcome news. Even so, Empress Dowager He had accepted it.
This was not... out of deference to Yuan Shu, who held the real power in the country.
It was purely a calculation of Empress Dowager He's own.
'If Sun Jian, who holds the office of General of the Guards, achieves merit, a part of that merit will become mine. Moreover, showing active support like this will increase General Yuan Shu's goodwill toward me.'
She truly knew nothing of warfare, but she understood well enough that when a subordinate achieves merit, the status of the commander who employs him also rises.
Of course, from Empress Dowager He's perspective, she would have preferred a different method rather than this unfamiliar one—a method of planting a thick and amorous emotion between a man and a woman...
But regrettably, she could not resort to such rash measures against a man who had just entered into another marriage and was on his honeymoon again.
On top of that, Yuan Shu was now heading out to the battlefield as well.
"Sigh... I cannot tell when this chaotic era will ever end. The land under Heaven must be stabilized as soon as possible."
"I think so as well, Your Majesty."
Empress Dowager He spoke with genuine feeling, and Diaochan expressed her agreement.
After finishing the "errand for her father" that continued a while longer,
Diaochan withdrew from the Empress Dowager's palace while maintaining her propriety to the very end.
Without a single flaw in her bearing, Diaochan slowly made her way across the Imperial Palace.
Inside the room she eventually reached, a woman sat as always wearing a placid smile.
"I have returned, Master."
"You did well. How did the Empress Dowager seem?"
"She knows exactly what is widely known."
"As expected... if even the Empress Dowager, the mother of this nation, believes it so, then the lords under Heaven will be no different."
"That will be so, Master."
At Diaochan's words, the brown-haired woman smiled faintly and straightened her spectacles.
Chen Gong.
Her gaze then turned back toward her subordinate and disciple, who had begun inspecting correspondence on her desk again.
Diaochan had come to serve under Chen Gong not long ago on the recommendation of Minister Wang, a man with whom Chen Gong had an old connection.
Though still young, after working together for a short time, Chen Gong had been able to recognize the unusual qualities Diaochan possessed.
Diaochan possessed a beauty aptly described as a Beauty That Could Topple a Kingdom, along with an intellect no less brilliant.
She grasped ten things from learning one, and was meticulous in every matter without leaving any openings—aspects that drew admiration even from Chen Gong.
When Diaochan had bowed to her not long ago and asked to be accepted as a disciple, it was perhaps only natural that Chen Gong had accepted without hesitation.
And another thing.
The master and her disciple shared the same goal.
"We must ensure this stratagem succeeds. Only then can you and I both take a step forward toward what we desire. Just as the other generals and Her Majesty the Empress Dowager are doing."
"Ma... Master."
"Hoo-hoo."
At a remark that hit squarely home, her disciple's expression showed a crack for the first time.
A small laugh escaped Chen Gong's lips as she watched that face.