Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Yuan Shang stood at the edge of the city wall, his voice carried on the wind, tinged with a deliberate grievance: "Why do you generals view me like this? My father entrusted me with the administration of the state these past two years. Now that he is seriously ill, I am merely relaying orders on his behalf, and yet this has aroused such suspicion from you?" As he spoke, he waved his hand, signaling the soldiers around him to put away their weapons. "Quickly put down your swords! You are all pillars of Hebei. This standoff will only make you a laughingstock to outsiders."

Yan Liang and Wen Chou exchanged a glance, their hearts filled with doubt. But then they saw Yuan Shang walk down from the city wall and personally lead the way, his attitude earnest: "Since you insist on seeing Father, I will take you there. But Father is in poor health, so please do not disturb him."

The two men, unable to contain themselves any longer, followed with trepidation. They couldn't be at ease without seeing their lord. Shen Pei brought up the rear, his gaze fixed on Yuan Shang's seemingly upright figure, feeling a chill creep into the stone path beneath his feet. What kind of subject was to be "led" like this to see his lord? This was clearly leading him step by step into a trap. Yet, a sliver of hope remained: what if it was truly a misunderstanding? After all, they were father and son; what could they, as outsiders, say?

Upon arriving at the Prince of Ji's residence, Yuan Shang stopped and shouted, "Open the gates! Generals Yan Liang and Wen Chou, along with Mr. Shen Pei, wish to see Your Majesty!"

Shen Pei's heart sank. What kind of logic was there in knocking loudly at the gate of the Prince's mansion? When ordinary officials came to pay their respects, they were informed by eunuchs in advance. This commotion was clearly just for show.

Sure enough, several rows of armored soldiers emerged from the mansion wall, bows nocked, swords drawn, ready for battle. Ju Yi's voice came from behind the wall, filled with anger: "Yuan Shang! What trick are you playing now? You disobey the King's decrees, and now you think you can trick us into opening the gates? How can I believe you!"

Shen Pei hurriedly stepped forward and called out, "General Juyi! I am Shen Pei! Is His Majesty... well now?"

"The King is here!" Ju Yi's voice was filled with anxiety. "Shen, Generals Yan Liang and Wen Chou, quickly mobilize the troops outside the city to enter and take over the defenses! That rebellious son Yuan Shang is going to rebel!"

Before he finished speaking, countless armored soldiers suddenly surged out of the surrounding streets and alleys, their swords flashing and instantly surrounding Yan Liang and his two companions. Yuan Shang's earnest expression vanished, replaced by a forced smile: "Since the three of you insist on seeing Father, he is in the mansion. Go in." He paused, his tone suddenly turning cold, "Or, hand over your military power and submit to me."

Yan Liang looked at the powerful bows and crossbows all around him, trembling with rage: "Yuan Shang! How dare you coerce us?"

"Coercion?" Yuan Shang spread his hands, his smile growing increasingly sinister. "I'm just giving you three a choice: either come into the manor and 'reunite' with Father, or obediently surrender and save your lives and families. Choose."

Wen Chou drew his sword abruptly, but Yan Liang held him back. He looked at Ju Yi's anxious face on the wall of the mansion, then at the heavily armored soldiers around him. His throat bobbed. If he entered the mansion, he would likely be placed under house arrest like Ju Yi; if he did not surrender, these dozens of guards would be no match for him.

Shen Pei closed his eyes, feeling a wave of despair wash over him. The situation in Hebei was finally about to change.

Yuan Shang's smile vanished, replaced by a barely perceptible glint of hatred. His tone was icy, like a final ultimatum: "Have you three thought it through? Enter the manor, or submit?"

Yan Liang and Wen Chou subconsciously moved closer to Shen Pei, their eyes full of inquiry. Shen Pei remained silent for a long time, then said in a strained voice, "This is a matter concerning our lord's family. We, as foreign officials, must see our lord before we can feel at ease. Third Young Master, we will be selected to enter the manor."

“Alright.” Yuan Shang nodded, but his gaze swept over the three men’s waists. “You may enter the manor, but leave your military tally behind. Otherwise, with tens of thousands of troops outside the city watching you with hostility, how can I feel at ease?”

Yan Liang and Wen Chou's faces turned ashen, but they had no other choice. They untied the military tallies from their waists and threw them hard on the ground. The crisp sound of the bronze tallies hitting the stone slab seemed to strike the hearts of everyone present.

Yuan Shang gestured for his guards to put away the military tally, and then ordered the surrounding armored soldiers to step back a few paces, making way for them. Shen Pei looked up at the mansion wall and raised his voice, "General Ju Yi, you've seen it all! We've handed over the military tally; we're definitely not the Third Young Master's men! Let us in. Now we're all in the same boat. Only by seeing our lord can we clear up the truth!"

Ju Yi, standing on the mansion wall, frowned, his eyes filled with surprise and doubt. He looked at Yan Liang and the other two standing empty-handed, then glanced at Yuan Shang's confident demeanor in the distance, and finally hesitated.

“General Juyi,” Yuan Shang suddenly spoke, his voice not loud, but clearly carried through the walls, “It is true that Father is seriously ill, and it is also true that I, as his son, am determined to keep Ye City from falling into chaos. I also know of your loyalty to your lord.” He paused, his tone carrying a deliberate sincerity, “I will not take advantage of the chaos to seize the gate, much less commit patricide. I am only doing this to let Father understand that it is time to let go. You can stay in the manor in peace. As long as Father is alive, I will support the soldiers in the manor. When Father truly passes away, I, Yuan Shang, will rightfully inherit the position of Hebei. Why would I need to resort to despicable means?”

These words, half true and half false, struck a nerve with Ju Yi. He glanced at the faint light emanating from the direction of his sickbed, then at the dark military camp outside the city—the remnants of his Vanguard Battalion were trapped in the mansion, already at their last gasp; if the stalemate continued, he feared he wouldn't even be able to hold onto this small force.

"Open the door!" Ju Yi finally gritted his teeth and shouted to those behind him.

The heavy mansion gate creaked open a crack, allowing only a few people to pass through. Yan Liang, Wen Chou, and Shen Pei exchanged a glance, then led the last few guards inside. The door slowly closed behind them, cutting off the daylight and completely eliminating any possibility of retreat.

Yuan Shang stood outside the mansion, gazing at the tightly closed gate, a triumphant smile slowly creeping onto his lips. He turned to Feng Ji and said, "Pass down the order to take over the military command of Yan Liang and Wen Chou, and properly 'pacify' the army outside the city."

"Your Highness is wise," Feng Ji replied, bowing.

Inside the mansion, Yan Liang and his two companions had just stepped into the courtyard when Ju Yi, accompanied by his personal guards, came to greet them with a grave expression: "Our lord is in the inner room, his breath is weak... We're afraid we're truly trapped here to die."

Looking into the flickering light of the inner room, Shen Pei felt a chill run from his feet to the top of his head. They had ultimately walked into the deadly trap set by Yuan Shang, and the fate of Hebei was now completely in the hands of this Third Young Master.

The smell of medicine in the inner room was so strong it was almost unbearable. Yuan Shao lay on the couch, his withered hand resting on the brocade quilt. When he saw Yan Liang, Wen Chou, and Shen Pei enter, a glimmer of light flashed in his cloudy eyes, but it quickly dimmed again. He struggled to sit up halfway, but was quickly supported by a maid. His throat tightened, and he coughed for a long time before he could catch his breath.

"You... you've finally come." Yuan Shao looked at the three kneeling on the ground, a bitter smile on his face. "The third brother's methods are more ruthless than I expected. He tricked you into returning, and the military power has probably already fallen into his hands, hasn't it?"

Yan Liang and Wen Chou lay prostrate on the ground, their lips moving but unable to utter a word. The military tally had been handed over, and the army outside the city had been taken over. At this moment, they had no leverage other than their martial arts skills, and could only remain silent.

Yuan Shao's gaze shifted to Shen Pei, his eyes filled with deep regret: "Mr. Shen, back then you advised me to restrain my sons and not let them hold military power, but I wouldn't listen... Now we've fallen to this state, and I'm afraid that you and I, ruler and minister, will be trapped and die here."

"You flatter me, my lord." Shen Pei bowed and rose, his tone steady. "It is true that we are trapped here, but to say that we will all die is not necessarily true."

A glimmer of light suddenly appeared in Yuan Shao's eyes, and he struggled to lean forward slightly: "Well? Do you have a plan?"

“There’s no solution.” Shen Pei walked to the bedside and lowered his voice. “Although Yuan Shang is ambitious, he would not dare to commit patricide. What he wants is the foundation of Hebei. If he is branded as a patricide, how can the soldiers in the army be convinced? Even if he can forcibly attack and kill us, it will chill the hearts of the people in Hebei. It would be a loss for him.”

He paused, then changed the subject, his tone tinged with helplessness: "But if our lord wants to go out and regain control of the military and government, I'm afraid it will be difficult. Since Yuan Shang has already set up this scheme, he will never give us another chance to turn things around. All he wants is for our lord to... pass away so that he can rightfully succeed to the throne."

Yan Liang and Wen Chou felt a chill run down their spines. Shen Pei's words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing their last shred of hope—they could live, but to regain military power and help their lord rise again was now a pipe dream.

Yuan Shao swayed, the light in his eyes gradually dimmed, and he lay back down on the couch, closing his eyes and murmuring, "So be it...so be it...they are all my sons, it's good to hand over Hebei to him..." But the disappointment in his voice pierced the hearts of the three like needles.

The inner room fell into a deathly silence, broken only by the occasional crackling of the candlelight. Yan Liang clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms; Wen Chou turned his head away, gazing at the tightly closed high walls outside the window, his eyes filled with resentment; Shen Pei stood by the bed, looking at his once-powerful lord in his current state, and could only sigh inwardly.

They might survive, but they were destined to become prisoners of this power shift, watching helplessly as the sky over Hebei completely changed color. Meanwhile, the net Yuan Shang had laid outside his residence was tightening ever more, awaiting only the final moment.

It's now late May, and the humid heat of Sichuan is like an impenetrable net, enveloping Chengdu completely. Unlike the undercurrents of conflict in Hebei, the battle in Chengdu is already raging openly—Ma Chao's iron cavalry raises clouds of dust outside the city, the glint of swords reflecting the scorching sun, and each charge splatters hot blood.

The allied forces of Liu Bei and Liu Zhang were trapped inside Chengdu. The crenellations of the city walls were riddled with arrows, and the defending soldiers, shirtless, had sweat and blood seeping from their bronze backs into the gaps in their armor. Below the city walls, Ma Chao's vanguard was climbing ladders, the sharp whistling of spears piercing the air mingling with the clatter of stones rolling down the walls, even the bronze bells on the eaves groaning.

"Bring some more logs!" The garrison commander's hoarse roar came from the city wall, startling the swallows nesting under the eaves. In the puddles at the foot of the city wall, the banners swaying on the city wall were reflected, their corners fluttering in the wind as if desperately shouting "Hold on!"

Meanwhile, in Hebei, the lights were still on in Yuan Shang's mansion. Yuan Shang was listening to the physician's report on Yuan Shao's current condition. Yuan Shang did not complain about the food supply in the mansion. He was only concerned about how long his father could hold on, and his heart was filled with anxiety.

The stalemate between the North and the South, one openly wreaking havoc and the other secretly exhausting itself, both exuded the same despair: it was as if the struggle in this chaotic world was nothing more than a game of chess played by God, and the outcome was already written in the wind before the hand that made the move even lifted.