Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

After attending that first court meeting, Yuan Shao invited the remaining princes into his tent and meticulously arranged an extremely lavish banquet. The venue was magnificently decorated, and a dazzling array of delicacies was on display. At the banquet, everyone was in high spirits, their faces dancing with joy as they excitedly shared their newly acquired titles, their expressions as if they had already foreseen the boundless glory of a future of high power.

For example, those who remained loyal to the Han Dynasty, such as Kong Rong, Kong Zhou, and Tao Qian, gathered together and whispered. Their eyes gleamed with hope, their words filled with admiration for the emperor's extraordinary demeanor, and they earnestly expressed their belief in the revival of the Han Dynasty. Meanwhile, those with less ambitious ambitions, such as Zhang Yang and Bao Xin, were preoccupied with expanding their territory and imagining the luxury of enjoying power once they wielded it. Their faces were filled with greed and lust.

Cao Cao also remained silent within the ranks. Although his reward was generous, he had contributed greatly to the campaign against Dong Zhuo, and had lost most of the soldiers he had recruited. Though he now received his reward, Cao Cao was already thinking about returning to his homeland to rapidly develop his own power. His expression was solemn, his gaze penetrating, seemingly listening to the conversation, but his mind was actually far away.

Yuan Shu, on the other hand, displayed a disdainful air towards everyone, completely lost in his own rosy fantasies about the future. After being flattered twice by some of the princes who were deliberately trying to curry favor with him, he drank too much and, feeling a bit tipsy, he spoke a lot of offensive words towards the emperor, his arrogance drawing attention.

Yuan Shao had originally intended to use this opportunity to win over the hearts of the other princes, to secure more support, or to subjugate some of them to his own advantage, thereby strengthening his own power and achieving hegemony. However, seeing this group of people so contented and smug, Yuan Shao couldn't help but feel that this was not a good idea.

Yuan Shao cast a gloomy glance over the princes, intoxicated by fame and fortune, and sneered inwardly. Look at Yuan Shu, his face flushed, his words wild, his entire body devoid of self-control, lost in vain fantasies, a disgrace to himself. Then look at the likes of Zhang Yang and Bao Xin, whose eyes were fixed solely on territory and pleasure, devoid of grand ambition, like greedy jackals. Even Kong Rong and Tao Qian, despite their fervent support for the Han Dynasty, seemed naive and pedantic, oblivious to the harshness of reality.

Yuan Shao gripped the wine glass tightly, his knuckles white from the force, and it seemed as if he would shatter it. He had hoped to find like-minded, courageous, and resourceful individuals among these princes, with whom he could collaborate on grand plans and achieve his ambitions. But all he saw were short-sighted individuals with no ambition. They were only concerned with the petty gains of the moment, completely oblivious to the greater good, like ignorant ants.

"Hmph! Such mediocre people, how can they be worthy of working with me on great things!" Yuan Shao was filled with indignation. He raised his head and drank the wine in his cup in one gulp, but the spicy liquor could not quench his anger. He knew that collaborating with these people would be like trying to get the skin of a tiger. Not only would it not achieve great things, but it would also likely cause them to become a burden. So, Yuan Shao secretly made up his mind to use his own strength and wisdom to carve out a place for himself in this chaotic world. He wanted to let the world know that he, Yuan Shao, was the hero who could end this chaos and achieve immortal achievements.

Yuan Shao took in everyone's reactions. Although he had some thoughts in his mind, he did not reveal them, nor did he express his thoughts too much. After the banquet, he only left Han Fu, Chunyu Qiong, and his advisors Guo Tu and Xu You to discuss the matter.

In the back tent, candlelight flickered, and the atmosphere was solemn. Yuan Shao sat majestically in the main seat. Han Fu, despite holding a higher rank than Yuan Shao, consciously sat below him, his deference as if he were a subordinate. Yuan Shao, however, saw nothing wrong with this situation, as if it were all commonplace.

Yuan Shao's eyes were bright and his expression was firm. He said in a deep voice like a bell: "The current situation is a critical moment to continue to expand our territory, recruit talents, and win the hearts of the people. Only by doing so can we have enough say in the court and must not give the emperor even the slightest chance to breathe." His words were sonorous and powerful, full of firm determination and ambition.

"So, Han Fu, at the next court meeting tomorrow, you must take the lead and continue to implore the extermination of the remaining remnants of Dong Zhuo." Yuan Shao turned his eyes sharply to Han Fu and stared at him closely, as if he wanted to convey his will directly to the other's heart.

Han Fu nodded hurriedly, his face filled with fear, not daring to hesitate for a moment.

Guo Tu stroked his beard and squinted his eyes as he said, "This is a very good move. Letting Lord Han take the lead can not only test the emperor's attitude, but also demonstrate our determination. It is indeed a brilliant strategy."

Xu You also agreed, "That's right. If the emperor agrees, we can follow the trend and make a big move. If the emperor doesn't agree, we can take the long view and make other plans.

Yuan Shao continued, "When we were fighting Dong Zhuo, none of the people in the tent had any brilliant strategies or heroic actions. But now after accepting the rewards, they behave in an ugly way that I really despise. How can such short-sighted and fame-seeking people accomplish anything earth-shaking!" His face was full of disdain and anger, as if he felt deeply ashamed of these people's actions.

However, Guo Tu said, "My lord, the rest of the people are not worth mentioning, but I saw that Cao Cao and Cao Mengde were silent and didn't say a word. They neither showed the expected excitement nor had any interest in drinking and having fun. There may be a hidden meaning in this." Guo Tu frowned slightly, with a trace of doubt in his expression that was difficult to dispel.

Xu You interrupted and said, "Ah, you worry too much about this. Meng De, your lord and I are all close friends, and I know Meng De very well. I will try to test him when we meet again tomorrow, and we will know the answer after a try. Cao Cao was a man who only wanted to be a general. He once said that after his death, his tombstone should be engraved with 'Tomb of General Cao Hou of the Han Dynasty'. From what I know about him, it is not difficult to guess what he is thinking." Xu You twirled his beard lightly, his face filled with confidence.

Everyone was talking at once, offering suggestions and planning their next move.

The next day, Zhang Yang, the governor of Henei, came to bid farewell to Yuan Shao. With Dong Zhuo dead and the emperor's relocation of the capital to Chang'an, everything seemed settled to ordinary people, eager to return immediately to expand their territory and strengthen their power. Yuan Shao was trying to appease Zhang Yang, unwilling to let him leave.

Kong Rong, Tao Qian, and Kong Jun arrived together, ready to bid farewell to Yuan Shao, the leader of the alliance. Kong Rong spoke first, "Master, now that the traitor Dong has been eliminated and the emperor is at the throne, we have fulfilled our mission. Local affairs are numerous and urgently require our return. I hope you will grant my consent."

Yuan Shao frowned and said, "My lords, although the Dong thief has been annihilated, his remnants remain. If we hastily leave now, they will seize the opportunity to grow stronger. It would be like slaying a tiger only to be wounded. We must seize this opportunity to completely eliminate this scourge and ensure lasting peace for the world."

Tao Qian retorted, "Leader, our forces are limited and we are exhausted from the long battle. It is difficult for us to fight again. Moreover, the local people are eagerly awaiting our return to govern the land and improve people's livelihood."

Yuan Shao's eyes were determined as he declared loudly, "Everyone, as the leader of the alliance, I must consider the greater good. Leaving now will forfeit all our previous efforts. My decision is made. No one shall leave until we have a meeting and have finalized the matter!"

Due to the haste of the situation, Chang'an had just been designated as the capital, and the previously daily court sessions were reduced to every five days. Consequently, the princes were unable to leave due to Yuan Shao's restraints. They had no choice but to comply. They could only wait until the five-day court session before formally bidding farewell to the emperor. During these five days, Yuan Shao secretly instigated several other princes to form a private alliance.

The atmosphere at court that day was solemn and oppressive. In the hall, the emperor sat high on the dragon throne, his expression dignified. His ministers lined up on either side, waiting with bated breath. Sunlight streamed through the window lattices, slanting across the golden brick floor, casting streaks of light and shadow.

The emperor coughed lightly, breaking the suffocating silence. He looked around at the ministers with a sharp gaze and slowly said, "I have something to announce today. I want to take the daughter of Gongsun Zan as my concubine to establish harmony between our two families and to jointly protect the Han Dynasty." As soon as these words came out, there was a brief silence in the court, and then it was like a drop of cold water into hot oil, and the pot exploded in an instant.

Upon hearing this joyful news, Gongsun Zan was stunned for a moment, then a smile as brilliant as a spring flower blossomed across his face, his joy barely contained. He hurriedly knelt to express his gratitude, his voice trembling with emotion: "Your Majesty, I thank you for your great grace. Your Majesty is wise and wise. This is a great blessing for my family!"

The important officials also came forward to offer their congratulations. Some, beaming, bowed and said, "General Gongsun, congratulations! Your daughter's favor with His Majesty is truly a great blessing. In the future, General Gongsun will surely be a member of the imperial family, a matter of great honor!" Others spoke earnestly, "This is Your Majesty's deep love for General Gongsun, and a blessing for our dynasty. I hope that after General Gongsun's daughter enters the palace, she will be able to relieve Your Majesty's worries and bring prosperity to the Han Dynasty." Still others, with a touch of flattery in their tone, said, "General Gongsun, from now on, you are a close friend of His Majesty. I hope you will continue to support me." For a moment, the congratulations came one after another, and Gongsun Zan was overwhelmed, his joy beyond words.