According to the instincts of a female...
According to the instincts of a female...
Changshan Commandery, Ji Province.
Located in the western reaches of Ji Province, the administrative seat governing the entire region was—befitting its status as the provincial capital—one of the most developed places in all of Ji Province.
The government office at its heart.
Deep within, now treated as a de facto temporary Imperial Palace,
Sun Quan looked at the Emperor sitting before her with a book spread open and asked a question laden with puzzlement.
"Your Majesty. What is this book?"
"This is called the Book of Rites. It contains the things an emperor must know."
The Book of Rites, the foundation for what would later become the text known as the Great Learning.
Because it contained the virtues required of a ruler, it was a book that Emperor Liu Bian perused more often than any other.
"Hmm... Is it fun?"
"One does not read it for fun. It is to say, a sovereign must never neglect his learning. To govern the realm ably, one must read widely. And also to become a person of talent in the future."
"Her Majesty speaks truly, and as it happens we have the Analects right here, so Gwon, you too should spend some time on your studies."
"Sounds boring..."
"Buaah~!"
"Look, even two-year-old Shangxiang is working hard at her studies. As the older sister, you can't let your little sister outdo you, can you?"
"No... that's not studying, she's just sucking on the bamboo scroll..."
"In any case, I am saying we should study together, so come on, your big sister will help you. Sit down here."
"Hmph... Fine."
Children who played with wild excitement when it was time to play, yet kept strictly to their study time according to their mothers' stern directives.
After stealing a glance at this scene from beyond the door, Empress Dowager He and Sun Jian, faint smiles on their lips, headed for the hall used as the Empress Dowager's chamber.
A place not far from the Emperor's main hall.
Once there, the two women sat across from each other with an air of familiar comfort.
"It is a truly fine sight, children gathered together like that and devoting themselves to their studies. And it seems Her Majesty is showing more interest in learning than before."
"Is it not so that studying with friends always goes better? I hope our Ce takes this chance to develop an interest in his studies as well."
"Is he not a rather bright child? Even if it is a little awkward at first, he will soon take to it."
"You honor me, Your Majesty."
"That aside..."
The Empress Dowager took a light sip of her tea.
Then, with a slightly serious expression, she asked Sun Jian.
"Did you find out what I asked?"
"Yes, I too had my suspicions... but it seems to be a confirmed fact. That woman Dong Zhuo, she is in that sort of relationship with General Yuan Shu."
"I see... I did sense they were not of common standing even right after they were rescued from Luoyang..."
He Eun nodded with a somewhat displeased expression.
Perceiving the subtle emotion within it, Sun Jian offered a light smile along with what could be considered good news.
"But, Your Majesty, separate from that it appears the two have yet to consummate their relationship."
"What? No... how could a man and a woman with such looks...! Ugh... hm... Indeed... well. He is the legitimate heir of the Yuan Clan... so you could say that is only natural, I suppose."
For a moment, He Eun had been judging by the standard of her late husband... the late Emperor, who would drag any woman who suited his tastes to his bedchamber regardless of circumstance.
But, thinking on it again, that was simply because that man had been excessively steeped in lust.
A person of ordinary refinement... especially a member of a prestigious family, would naturally be prudent in such matters.
Of course, there were those who ignored this, but the proper union of a man and woman was to be consummated on the wedding night.
There was no issue at all with a capable person having multiple wives or husbands,
but since there were strict protocols of their own in these matters, the current relationship between Yuan Shu and Dong Zhuo was not particularly strange.
He Eun felt a sense of relief.
Then...
"But if I may ask, Your Majesty? What is the reason you had me investigate such a thing?"
"Hm? Ah... Th-that... that is... to know more about General Yuan, upon whom we shall rely..."
"Judging by the nature of the inquiry, it does not seem to be for such a simple obligation?"
"Urk."
He Eun's face flushed red at Sun Jian's words and she fell into a momentary silence.
At that, Sun Jian let out a teasing laugh and said,
"Fufu... I apologize. It was just too plainly obvious, yet you tried so hard to hide it."
"Hmm... As I thought... it was."
The reason a woman asks about a man's relations with other women was obvious.
It meant she harbored interest and affection for him as a member of the opposite sex.
Sun Jian then said with a more earnest smile, emptying her teacup.
"Indeed, a man like General Yuan is someone any woman would covet. How many men in the world possess such character, looks, and strength?"
"Th-that is so. Furthermore, both you, General Sun, and I... we were able to protect our most precious things because of him, and must continue to protect them going forward. This is an absolutely necessary task for the nation and for our families."
"Indeed. Without General Yuan's strength, neither righting this nation nor protecting our children would be an easy matter."
To a mother, the most precious treasure in the world is, indeed, the child they bore in pain.
The mere fact that he was the benefactor who protected those children was already more than enough to plant affection in their hearts.
Moreover, as women who had lost the husbands meant to protect their children.
And right after that, as bodies that had nearly experienced the worst—the loss of those children—
the existence of a reliable, powerful male was triggering an instinctual pull within their hearts.
Had this been the world of the Original Timeline, matters of a woman's virtue and such would have met with considerable discomfort and gossip.
But this world was one where the history of reverse harems—where numerous empresses, beginning with Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang, kept many male consorts—lived and breathed openly.
Though the idea itself existed that it was good for a woman to keep her virtue, there was no mindset of enforcing it.
On top of that, in these chaotic times, the atmosphere actually subtly encouraged widows to remarry quickly.
Thus, the two women, in similar circumstances with similar goals, put their heads together and were deliberating to find a clue for this matter.
And of course, the primary obstacle in this matter was...
"As expected... that woman will be the biggest problem."
"General of the Left Dong Zhuo. It is a bit much for me to say this, but I never thought there would be a woman more formidable than myself."
"Hmm..."
From He Eun's perspective, Dong Zhuo was someone who could be called a great benefactor alongside Yuan Shu.
However, separate from this, He Eun could not help but feel a strange discomfort whenever she looked at Dong Zhuo as a woman.
He Eun, who by her beauty alone had risen from the lowly body of a butcher's daughter to receive the Imperial favor.
As such, she was confident in her looks and believed she was second to none.
Skin like white jade, lustrous pink-tinged hair, and even the symbol of motherhood superior to most other women.
But recently, this confidence had been slightly shaken for He Eun.
That woman Dong Zhuo, her beauty aside,
but more than anything, that enormous symbol of motherhood was a step above He Eun's own.
Of course, she had heard that some men preferred smaller chests, but honestly, as a woman, she could not help the feelings of rivalry and faint defeat.
"To be maintaining his boundaries against a woman like that... Could it be that General Yuan Shu is one of... those?"
"Ah, th-that... is most likely not the case. I have definitely seen him grow excited by a woman's body."
"Then that is a relief...? But General Sun, why is your face suddenly so red?"
"Pardon? N-no... that's not..."
Sun Jian was seized by a feeling of heat rising for no reason as she recalled a dark part of her past.
"Hmm... In any case, we will need to advance our relationship with General Yuan as quickly as possible. For now, since a great undertaking is before our eyes, we are not formally speaking of marriage, but. Once the allied forces occupy Luoyang, he will proceed with matters in earnest."
"Certainly, even if it will be difficult once that position is taken, we must at least create an opening. For a pair of newlyweds will have eyes for nothing else for some time."
By Han law, having multiple principal wives was not an issue, but naturally, this was only possible if the parties involved desired it.
Of course, she could use her status as Empress Dowager to force the matter through, but that was not what He Eun wished for.
'Is this not the first time I am choosing a man with my own hands? No matter how much it may be born of necessity... at the very least, I wish for my heart to be true. No... I shall make it so.'
And so, as she set the goal she had to achieve in this war,
a deep sense of drive began to burn within He Eun's heart.
*
"Is there still no word from that cunt Cao Cao?"
"I am sorry, Father... But with this amount of time, she has likely already joined up with Yuan Shu. Searching any further is..."
"Tch..."
Ding Yuan gritted his teeth at Lü Bu's report.
But separate from his anger, he had no choice but to admit that at this point, Cao Cao had already slipped from his grasp.
"This rat-like bitch... Fine... Let us wait and see. Someday I will chew your living flesh to bits."
Swearing vengeance for a future day, Ding Yuan concluded that for now, he had no choice but to set this matter aside.
At that moment...
"M-my lord!!"
"Hm? What is it, Zhang Liao? Have you finally found Cao Cao's whereabouts?"
Ding Yuan asked with a sliver of hope at the sight of Zhang Liao rushing in urgently.
But...
"Th-that's not it... F-first, please look at this, my lord!"
"If it is not about Cao Cao, then what matter on earth could be so urgent..."
He had thought that at this juncture, nothing short of a matter concerning Cao Cao could arise with such urgency.
That thorn in his eye, Yuan Shu, had already left for Ji Province,
and Dong Zhuo, too, seemed too busy with affairs in Yang Province to show any signs of returning.
Though he could not completely ignore Zhang Rang and the Turbid Stream Faction who had the internal administration in their grip, at this moment Ding Yuan's power could truly be said to dominate the Han.
That much was evident from the fact that no one dared utter a word, even as he had swept away an entire district of Luoyang and was building a manor to rival the palace itself.
Yet...
"!"
The moment he saw the letter Zhang Liao had brought,
Ding Yuan's face instantly began to drain of color.
"N-no... What... what is this..."
"What is the matter, Father?"
"Damn it! Ready the horses at once! I will go to the Imperial Palace this instant."
"Ah... Understood, my lord!"
"And Gao Shun, you contact Gongsun Zan immediately. If I say to see me, he will know what it means."
"Ah... Understood."
At Ding Yuan's words, Zhang Liao and Gao Shun hurriedly headed for the stables.
In the meanwhile, Lü Bu took the problematic letter Ding Yuan had handed over and began to check its contents.
It was...
"!"
At once, it felt like a blow to the back of her head.
And at the same time, it brought a terror that was close to chilling.
'Wha... Yuan Shu... the General?... H-how... did he?'