Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

In the meeting room of the Xuzhou Governor's Mansion, a sandalwood charcoal basin crackled, but it couldn't warm Tao Ying's chill. Ever since his return from the disastrous defeat in Wujun, he'd worn faded black iron armor, his broken breastplate still stained with dark red rust. Whenever he stood, the broken sword tassel at his waist brushed against its empty scabbard—a mark of shame, severed by a Jiangdong general. When scouts brought news of Sun Ce's death, he suddenly overturned a low table, sending the delicate teacup shattering on the blue bricks. The scalding tea flowed like a river, a replay of the bloodshed on the battlefield.

"Father! This is a godsend!" Tao Ying stumbled towards the map, his bony fingers firmly pawing at the Jianye City mark. "I am willing to lead 50,000 elite soldiers and conquer Jiangdong!" His voice was hoarse with excitement, and the mad fire in his eyes rekindled, completely ignoring his brother Tao Shang's sullen expression.

Tao Shang slowly stood up, the gold threads on his dark brocade robe swirling with his movements, like the surging undercurrent of a river. He pressed the intact longsword at his waist, his voice as cold as the winter ice in Pengcheng: "Have you forgotten the defeat in Wujun? If we hadn't withdrawn our troops in time, the Xuzhou army would have been the dead of Jiangdong long ago." His eyes swept across Sun Quan's newly deployed defense line on the map. "This year and more of peace has been purchased at the cost of countless lives."

Tao Ying suddenly ripped off his cloak, his torn black iron armor gleaming dark red in the candlelight. He pointed at Tao Shang's nose, his voice thick with the smoke of the Wujun battlefield: "I've personally led troops into battle, and though I've suffered heavy defeats, when has the Jiangdong army ever frightened me to death?!" His chest heaved violently, and the bandages on his old wounds threatened to bleed. "Brother, you're sitting securely in Xuzhou, sipping warm wine and listening to the news of victory. How could you have known the mountains of corpses and blood, the rain of arrows, and the hail of blood on the battlefield?!"

He suddenly grabbed the bronze wine jar on the table and smashed it against the wall. Shards flew everywhere, and his hoarse roar shook the bronze bells in the corridor. "Now that Sun Ce is dead and a great opportunity lies before us, brother, you are still afraid of the Jiangdong army! How ridiculous! How cowardly!" He staggered closer, his eyes bloodshot. "You are a coward who hides in your shell. You really don't deserve the surname Tao!"

Tao Shang lowered his eyes, suppressing the turbulent emotions, and smoothed over the map that Tao Ying had overturned. Tao Qian looked at his second son's blood-stained wristband and his eldest son's intact brocade robe. His old hand slammed heavily on the sandalwood desk, making the bronze paperweight jingle. "How dare you! How dare you give orders in front of your brother?"

Tao Ying turned his head abruptly, the newly gray hair at his father's temples stinging his eyes. Since returning from the defeat at Wujun, he'd spent half a month coughing up blood on his sickbed, yet his father never again stayed by his bedside through the night. Tao Qian, watching Tao Shang sorting through maps, his eyes filled with unconcealed trust.

"Father!" Tao Ying stiffened his neck and took a half step forward. The sound of armor clashing mixed with suppressed breathing. "My son narrowly escaped death in Jiangdong. Is it not okay for him to say even a single mistake?" He suddenly opened his clothes, revealing a scabbed arrow wound. "This scar hurts my heart. Can't you see it?"

Tao Qian's knuckles were clenched until they turned white, and his Adam's apple rolled for a long time before he squeezed out a word: "Let's listen to your elder brother's analysis first." He turned his face away from Tao Ying's red eyes, and his old voice was wrapped in imperceptible fatigue. "Marching and fighting, can you rely on blood and passion?"

Tao Shang finally raised his head, his fingertips tracing the mark of Sun Quan's newly built beacon tower on the map. "Do you know, second brother, that Sun Quan has tripled the defense line in Jiangdong since he ascended the throne?" Cheng Pu holds Chaisang, Huang Gai is stationed in Yuzhang, and Zhou Yu's former subordinates are lurking in various places..." His voice was as steady as a cold river. "Xuzhou was depleted of its treasury and weapons after the battle of Wujun. Sending troops rashly at this time would play into Sun Quan's hands."

Tao Ying's fists tightly gripped the broken sword at his waist. He watched his father nod slightly, and suddenly felt as if the charcoal fire in the governor's mansion had turned to ice. It turned out that in his father's eyes, his elder brother, who had never been on the battlefield, was the chosen one to rule Xuzhou.

For the warlords bordering Jiangdong, Sun Ce's death likely stirred an undercurrent. The balance of power on the border was disrupted, forcing territorial disputes and strategic planning to be reconsidered. Every ambitious individual secretly plotted how to profit from this shift in power. However, in the heart of the Central Plains, whether it was Cao Cao, with his ambitions for the entire country, Yuan Shao, commanding the mighty armies of Jizhou, or Zhang Lu, entrenched in Hanzhong, the change of Jiangdong's helm from Sun Ce to Sun Quan was merely a name on a map. Caught up in the turmoil of the struggle for supremacy in the Central Plains, they were preoccupied with consolidating their forces and plotting conquests, casting at best a disinterested glance at the developments unfolding far below the Yangtze River.

To these warlords, the transition from old to new in Jiangdong was merely an insignificant move on the chessboard. Each harbored its own ambitions for world domination: Cao Cao aimed to vanquish the remaining warlords and unify the north; Yuan Shao plotted to annex four provinces and achieve hegemony; and Zhang Lu clung to Hanzhong, attempting to preserve a pocket of peace amidst the chaos. For them, Sun Ce's untimely death merely eliminated a potential rival, freeing them up to deal with the challenge.

Yet, upon hearing of the sudden passing of the young general, once known as the "Little Overlord," who terrorized Jiangdong, a complex mix of emotions welled up within them. That young hero, inheriting his father's legacy and sweeping across the six prefectures of Jiangdong in just a few years, had once shone like a meteor streaking across the night sky. Leading over a thousand soldiers, he swept across Jiangdong with unstoppable force, bringing the dormant aristocratic families to their knees and planting the Sun clan's banner across the fertile lands of Jiangnan. But his brilliance was so sharp, his brilliance so dazzling, that even fate took a liking to him, extinguishing him like a meteor at the height of his glory, leaving behind only countless unfulfilled ambitions and the sighs of future generations.

A bitter north wind whipped the flags atop the Chang'an city walls, and the frost and snow of December had yet to melt. Like a spark, a secret letter from Jiangdong ignited the dead silence of the Weiyang Palace. Emperor Liu Bian's fingers trembled as he gripped the plain silk. His dark, gold-embroidered dragon robe gleamed coldly in the candlelight, and a long-lost flush of color suddenly crept into his pale face. For the first time since Ma Chao's death and the vengeful vengeance of the entire Xiliang army, he felt a spark of hope ignite within him.

Three months earlier, he had misjudged the strength of the Western Liang cavalry, believing that the prowess of Liu Bei's generals, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, combined with Lü Bu's Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry, would be enough to forge an impregnable defense across the Loess Plateau of Youfufeng and Zuofengyi. However, a vengeful army led by Ma Chao's father, Ma Teng, fueled by the fury of the Qiang tribes and the valor of the Western Liang warriors, overwhelmed the Han defenses like a surging tide. Smoke blanketed the 800-mile Qinchuan plain, and reports of defeat streamed into Chang'an like snowflakes. Even the usually invincible Lü Bu, wounded two of his generals on the Chencang Road, was forced to retreat in disarray to the banks of the Ba River.

The walls of the Weiyang Palace trembled at the clatter of horse hooves, and undercurrents surged within the imperial court. While the three dukes and nine ministers outwardly adhered to the proper etiquette between emperor and minister, they privately frequented the residences of various powerful officials. At this critical moment, the emperor, unable to sleep or eat, the news of Sun Ce's sudden death was a powerful shot in the arm. The sudden demise of the "little tyrant," who had dominated Jiangdong and threatened to dominate the Central Plains, signaled a potential reshuffle of the political landscape. If he could seize this opportunity to stabilize the situation in Chang'an, perhaps a turnaround could be found... Thinking of this, Liu Bian clenched the jade paperweight on his desk. The candlelight cast his shadow on the coiled dragon pillar, and he seemed to have acquired a touch of imperial majesty.

The night was as cold as ink. Icicles clung to the eaves of the Weiyang Palace, gleaming coldly under the flickering palace lanterns. Emperor Liu Bian, oblivious to the biting winter chill, hurried through the winding corridors, his robe fluttering, and ordered a eunuch to ring the bronze bell of Jingfu Hall. The sound pierced the dead silence, startling the crows beneath the eaves and awakening the slumbering city of Chang'an.

Xun Yu was the first to be summoned to the palace. This Shangshu Ling, renowned for his composure, now strode swiftly into the palace, draped in a dark cloak, his wide sleeves still stained with unshaken snow. Immediately following, the white-haired Grand Tutor Wang Yun, leaning on a carved ivory cane and supported by two attendants, entered the palace, his cloudy eyes bloodshot from his rapid breathing. As Liu Bei galloped towards them, the frost on his armor still lingered, and the double-edged sword at his waist shone a cold light under the palace lanterns.

Liu Bian stood on the steps, holding a secret letter. The black crown tassels swayed with his movements, and his eyes blazed with a brilliant light. He suddenly unfolded the plain silk, the candlelight illuminating the words with a blood-red hue. His voice trembled slightly with excitement: "Everyone, please look! Although our army is temporarily at a disadvantage due to our miscalculation of the Western Liang army's strength, I have seen all your tireless efforts over the past few days. However, Ma Chao is dead. As long as we hold this offensive, Western Liang will be leaderless and its destruction will be a matter of time!"

He stepped forward quickly, the corner of his robe brushing across the jade table: "Now that Sun Ce of Jiangdong has died suddenly, it is even more of a blessing from heaven for our Han Dynasty! That Jiangdong kid once vowed to destroy Chang'an to avenge Ma Chao, but he died in just over a month. Once he dies, Jiangdong will inevitably be in civil strife, and will no longer be able to covet Guanzhong!" At this point, Liu Bian suddenly laughed out loud, and his laughter made the bronze candlesticks in the hall buzz. "As one side gains strength, the other loses strength, and the Xiliang bandit army will surely be in a panic. When I pacify the northwest, among all the princes in the world, only Yuan Shao will dare to try to stop a chariot with his bare hands. But with the might of our Han Dynasty, it is only a matter of time before we overthrow him!"

Liu Bian raised his hand and stroked the jade pendant at his waist, a symbol of imperial power, his eyes flashing with enthusiasm: "The revival of the Han Dynasty is just around the corner! When that time comes, you will all be founding heroes who turned the tide, and your achievements will be recorded in history forever!" Before he finished speaking, he coughed with excitement, but his knuckles were still tightly clenched around the secret letter, as if holding the key to rebuilding the Han Dynasty.

Xun Yu was the first to straighten his clothes, his sleeves spread wide, and he knelt on the ground in a profound kowtow. His voice was as resounding as a bell, saying, "Your Majesty is wise! This is Heaven's will for the Han. Sun Ce's death and the decline of Western Liang are all due to Your Majesty. I am willing to serve Your Majesty as a loyal servant and will certainly assist Your Majesty in restoring the glory of Emperor Gaozu!" Before he had finished speaking, beads of sweat had already formed on his temples, and the fingers hidden in his sleeves trembled slightly - how could there be Heaven's will in these troubled times? It was nothing but a Shura of the survival of the fittest.

Wang Yun stood up, trembling, leaning on his ivory cane, his cloudy old eyes welling with tears. "I have served three dynasties, and today I finally see the dawn of revival! In the past, the traitor Dong was causing chaos, and the princes were divided. Only Your Majesty could turn the tide. When the world is pacified, even if I die, I can report to the late emperor with a smile!" His withered fingers tightly gripped the dragon pattern on the top of the cane, and a trace of calculation flashed in the depths of his cloudy pupils. He wondered if the plan should be carried out. If he waited until the Han Dynasty was truly revived, it would be too late.

Liu Bei drew his sword and stood up, his eyes filled with tears as he said, "I was once a mat weaver and shoe seller, yet Your Majesty has not abandoned me and entrusted me with such an important task. Seeing Your Majesty's great strategy and wisdom, I am willing to lead my two brothers, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, as your vanguard! When we defeat Yuan Shao and march westward to Liang Province, I will personally wield my long sword to lead the way for Your Majesty!"

Liu Bian's face flushed red from the three men's flattery. He staggered, holding onto the Panlong Pillar, and laughed heartily, his crown tassels clanging against each other. "Excellent! Excellent! When I unify the country, I will divide the land and establish new borders, and share the world with you all!" He suddenly grabbed the wine jug on the table and drank it all. The wine dripped down his chin, leaving dark stains on his dragon robe. "Hold on to this wave of Xiliang's offensive against Chang'an. The world will eventually belong to my Liu family!" His maniacal laughter pierced the palace, startling the palace maids keeping watch under the eaves and making them tremble all over. But no one dared to say that this prosperous era was nothing but a false illusion.