Chapter 107: No One Shall Touch My Grandson's Kingdom!

Become his father-in-law?

Lu Bu looked up at Liu Xie, who earnestly said, “We have heard that Fengxian has a daughter of marriageable age. We wish to welcome her into our harem. What is your opinion, Fengxian?”

To win over Lu Bu, relying solely on camaraderie would not suffice. He needed to bind him with titles, wealth, and mutual benefits.

Including Lu Bu’s daughter in the imperial harem was the best way to strengthen their relationship.

“I accept! Of course, I gladly accept!” Overwhelmed with joy, Lu Bu eagerly nodded.

Father-in-law! That makes me Imperial Father-in-law!

If his daughter entered the Emperor’s harem, he would instantly become part of the royal family. Combined with being appointed Great General, the honor would be unimaginable!

“Wonderful! Wonderful!” Liu Xie finally smiled again and, with veiled intent, stated, “In truth, we desire to make Fengxian’s daughter our Empress.”

“However, our original Empress remains captive under Caesar’s control. Appointing a new Empress without resolution might invite criticism from across the realm.”

“Once we’ve subdued all the warlords and unified the realm, we will indeed make Fengxian’s daughter our Empress,” Liu Xie continued, painting an enticing future for Lu Bu. “And when she bears an heir, they shall be named Crown Prince!”

Liu Xie began weaving grand promises to entice Lu Bu.

To win hearts, it’s not about exaggerating or making lofty pledges but rather about consistently delivering on those promises.

Lu Bu’s eyes widened immensely, his excitement reaching its peak. Fearful that Liu Xie might change his mind, he firmly declared, “I’ll immediately send someone back to bring my daughter here to serve Your Majesty!”

Initially, becoming the Imperial Father-in-law seemed like the pinnacle of his aspirations. Never did he imagine Liu Xie would propose crowning his daughter as Empress! And even more astonishingly, naming his future grandson as Crown Prince!

In this moment, Lu Bu’s mindset underwent a profound transformation. Initially, he had merely intended to repay the Emperor’s trust and strive for the position of Great General. But now, he was driven by a new purpose—to secure the throne for his grandson!

Let no treacherous usurpers dare lay their hands on the kingdom destined for my grandson!

“Fengxian…no, father-in-law, there is no need to rush.” Liu Xie gently supported Lu Bu, helping him stand upright. He reassured him, “Our word carries immense weight. Since we have pledged to marry your daughter, there will be no going back on that promise. It can wait until you return home to bring her here.”

“Indeed, Your Majesty.” The term “father-in-law” warmed Lu Bu’s heart, filling him with immense satisfaction. How could he possibly object? Whatever Liu Xie said was law.

Seeing his opportunity, Liu Xie continued to capitalize on this moment, skillfully manipulating Lu Bu further by painting grand visions for their alliance. Only after thoroughly bewitching the general did Liu Xie bid him farewell from the imperial palace.

As Lu Bu prepared to leave, still reluctant, he turned to Liu Xie and declared, “Your Majesty, please wait here within the palace. This humble servant will personally lead troops to conquer Yecheng and rescue you!”

“I hope our daughter, once she enters the palace, can swiftly bear a royal heir.”

“But, Your Majesty, do not misunderstand; I merely believe it is detrimental to the nation without a successor, not that I am eager to become the grandfather of the Crown Prince,” Lu Bu hastily added.

Liu Xie nodded repeatedly, assuring him, “Father-in-law, rest assured. We understand completely and shall make every effort towards that goal.”

Finally satisfied, Lu Bu took his leave.

Watching Lu Bu depart, Liu Xie let out a sigh of relief and murmured to himself, “Now, he should be utterly devoted to me, right?”

Today, Liu Xie had truly employed every tactic at his disposal - appealing to emotions, reasoning logically, enticing with benefits, and leveraging familial ties.

Each step was meticulously planned, culminating in the ultimate trump card of mentioning the Crown Prince. His goal was to irrevocably bind Lu Bu to his cause.

From now on, even Guo Jia might not match Lu Bu’s loyalty towards him, thanks to these strategic moves stacking significant buffs.

“Outside, we have Lu Bu and Liu Bei amassing strength for me; within Yuan Shao’s ranks, Guo Jia sows discord. This should count as substantial progress, right?”

“The remaining tasks are securing Jia Xu and winning over Zhen Mi,” Liu Xie schemed inwardly.

By gaining Jia Xu’s allegiance, he could bolster Guo Jia’s influence under Yuan Shao, making it easier to undermine him. Winning Zhen Mi’s heart would allow him to leverage the influential Zhen family, enabling control beyond the confines of the imperial palace.

Only then would he truly gain some freedom.

As expected, seeking shade beneath a mighty tree is always advantageous.

Liu Xie increasingly felt like a termite, gradually hollowing out the lush and expansive tree that was Yuan Shao from within.

And once the tree stands barren, he would flourish anew upon its decay!

Yecheng, Prison.

After arriving by carriage, Yuan Shao entered the prison alone. Naturally, the jailers dared not obstruct him and quietly retreated after leading him to one of the cells.

As he gazed at the figure lying on the damp, cold floor, a complex expression flickered across Yuan Shao’s eyes. After standing silently for a moment, he slowly asked, “At this point, do you regret anything?”

The figure on the prison floor was none other than Yuan Shu.

He had come to see his brother.

Yuan Shu’s current state was truly pitiful. In the Great Hall earlier, refusing to kneel, Lu Bu had brutally broken his legs. Now, all he could do was lie there, barely clinging to life.

Despite the excruciating pain from his shattered legs, upon seeing Yuan Shao outside the cell, Yuan Shu struggled to sit up, holding his head high with a cold expression.

“Did you come here just to mock us? You’ll likely be disappointed.”

Yuan Shao replied mildly, “I’m merely here to accompany you on your final journey. After all, we both belong to the Yuan clan, brothers once. Do you have any last words or wishes?”

He didn’t mind extending some mercy to a dying man.

However, Yuan Shu erupted in fury, cursing loudly, “Take your pity and get out of here! We don’t need sympathy from a bastard like you!”

Yuan Shu had never held Yuan Shao in high regard, and even as his captive, he refused to bow before him! This was the pride inherent in being the youngest son of the Yuan family.

To Yuan Shu, Yuan Shao’s display of pity felt like a blatant insult, trampling on his dignity underfoot.

“Fool.” Yuan Shao frowned, said no more, and turned to leave.

Just then, Yuan Shu suddenly called out to stop him. “Wait!”

Yuan Shao halted and looked back. “Have you changed your mind?”

Yuan Shu scoffed coldly. “My fate is death, but the Emperor must die with imperial dignity, not by the blade, which would be too undignified… Do you have white silk or poison wine available?”

His only request now was for a respectable demise, one fitting the honor of an Emperor.

Yuan Shao sneered in response, “You’re merely a false emperor; still seeking an imperial death? My visit today was solely out of our shared familial ties, do not push your luck here.”

White silk, poison wine, or self-inflicted wounds - these dignified methods of death were reserved exclusively for true Emperors.

As a false emperor who committed treason, Yuan Shu deserved public execution before the people. Only this could demonstrate Yuan Shao’s impartiality, his willingness to uphold justice above kinship, and garner him a favorable reputation.

Thus, no matter what, he could not allow Yuan Shu to die as desired.

“You truly are a despicable hypocrite!” Yuan Shu, consumed by anger, couldn’t help but lash out with curses.

Yuan Shao’s patience was wearing thin. “I’ll give you one last chance,” he said. “If your request isn’t unreasonable, I will grant it. Otherwise, I’m leaving.”

Yuan Shu’s expression fluctuated between fury and despair before he finally spoke, “Is the Emperor we saw today genuine or a fraud? Tell me the truth so that at least I may find peace in death!”

This mystery had remained unsolved for him. He utterly disbelieved Yuan Shao’s claim in the Great Hall about the Emperor miraculously escaping from Xu Capital. Not only did Cao Cao’s cautious nature make such an escape implausible, but even if possible, how could the Emperor traverse Yuzhou and Yanzhou to reach Jizhou?

Furthermore, Yuan Shao had never recognized Dong Zhuo’s appointed Emperor Jian’an, Liu Xie. Instead, he sought to support Inspector Liu Yu of Yōuzhou, going so far as writing to Yuan Shu for backing, which was promptly rejected. Considering these two points, Yuan Shu knew there must be some deception involved. Without clarity on this matter, he would not rest easy in death.

However, Yuan Shao avoided giving a direct answer, stating instead, “What does it matter now whether he is true or false?”

“If I say he’s genuine, then he is.”

Yuan Shu initially froze, then pointed at Yuan Shao and burst out laughing uproariously. “I knew it! As expected! Well done, Yuan Benchu, you’ve deceived the entire world! Ha ha ha ha!”

While Yuan Shao appeared to give no answer, his response was implicit.

How could Yuan Shu miss the meaning behind those words? The so-called Emperor residing in the imperial palace was indeed a fraud!

However, considering the current situation, with the endorsement of the Yuan clan, possession of the jade seal, and Lu Bu’s loyalty, this fake Emperor might soon become the true ruler, while the genuine one risks being deemed an imposter!

The most intriguing aspect lay in the fact that the distinction between truth and falsehood rested solely on Yuan Shao’s decision-making; the Emperor had become his absolute puppet!

Despite Yuan Shu’s deep-seated dislike for Yuan Shao, even he had to admit that this deception, swapping heaven for sun, was truly masterful!

Amidst laughter, Yuan Shu inadvertently aggravated his wounds, causing sweat to break out on his forehead from pain. It took several moments before he regained composure, his face growing paler still.

“Hey… Yuan Benchu.” Gasping for breath, Yuan Shu looked up at Yuan Shao, devoid of previous coldness or hostility, only calm remained. “I am a loser, do not follow my path. May your future endeavors revive the Yuan clan’s fortunes.”

“The task of revitalizing our Yuan clan’s legacy now falls on you.”

Despite their deep-seated animosity, they were both members of the Yuan family. He yearned to see the Yuan clan become the foremost aristocratic lineage under heaven. After his death, this responsibility would rest entirely on Yuan Shao.

“Do not compare me with a traitorous usurper like yourself,” Yuan Shao retorted coldly. With these words, he left the prison without looking back, his steps steady and resolute.

Inside, however, his thoughts roiled tumultuously.

If even Yuan Shu could proclaim himself Emperor, then why couldn’t he? Once the realm was unified, should he make that puppet abdicate?

The day after Lu Bu’s audience with Liu Xie at the palace,

Guo Jia also entered to meet with Liu Xie.

Liu Xie recounted every detail of his meeting with Lu Bu yesterday, including how he accepted Lu Bu’s daughter into the imperial harem, intending for her to become Empress someday.

“Fengxiao, now that we have subdued Lu Bu, do you believe we can rely on him to defeat Yuan Shao?” Liu Xie asked Guo Jia.

He sought Guo Jia’s opinion to gauge the feasibility of defeating Yuan Shao solely with Lu Bu’s support. After all, Guo Jia had a broader perspective than himself.

Guo Jia shook his head upon hearing this. “Lu Bu is undoubtedly valiant, but surpassing Yuan Shao’s influence is impossible without noble family backing.”

“The Yuan clan, spanning four generations as ministers, enjoys immense prestige and widespread support. In contrast, Lu Bu originates from humble peasant roots. Despite being appointed General of Chariots and Cavalry, elevated to County Duke, and achieving great merit by overthrowing the false emperor, he lacks the depth and background necessary.”

“Moreover, Lu Bu murdered his sworn father Ding Yuan, further tarnishing his reputation and deterring any noble families from supporting him.”

Nobility and lineage were paramount to the aristocratic clans.

This was evident when Lu Bu occupied Xuzhou; no local elites were willing to assist him. Those who joined him were primarily military generals, with only Chen Gong as a notable exception among scholars.

It should be noted that at that time, Lu Bu held the prestigious title of General of Valor and was ennobled as a county marquis. Yet, despite these high rank and nobility, they meant nothing to true aristocrats, considering most noble families boasted ancestors or members holding similar titles.

Without elite support, it was exceedingly difficult to gain power and influence in this era. Ultimately, the noble families controlled public discourse.