The Three Kingdoms: Hindsight is 20/20, and the Three Revivals of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 199 Yuan Shao Appraises the Heroes of the World, Liu Bei Rebukes the Abolition of the Eldest Son in Place of the Younger Son (4th Update)
Seeing Zhuge Liang evade the question, Xu You grew impatient. But the more Zhuge Liang dodged the question, the more suspicious Xu You became, and the more convinced he was that Zhuge Liang had a scheme.

Unfortunately, Zhuge Liang kept his mouth shut. No matter how Xu You tried to probe, Zhuge Liang always managed to evade the question perfectly and change the subject.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere on the other side was completely different.

The conversation between Yuan Shao and Liu Bei gradually turned to the overall situation of the world.

“Back in the day, when Xuande was in Xuchang, he once discussed heroes with Cao Cao over wine,” Yuan Shao said with great interest, and before Liu Bei could respond, he began to comment on his own: “Today, I am also discussing heroes with Xuande. The world is in chaos now, and although heroes have risen up, most of them are mediocre and not worth mentioning.”

His words carried an air of arrogance: "Cao Cao of Xuchang, a mere remnant of a eunuch, though he narrowly defeated me at the Battle of Guandu, it was only because I underestimated him, not because of his superior strategy. Moreover, Cao Cao has held the emperor hostage, usurped the throne, is treacherous and tyrannical, and has massacred tens of thousands of my men in Hebei. He has lost the hearts of the people, and his defeat is imminent. He will surely be captured by me soon!"

“Sun Quan of Jiangdong is nothing but a greenhorn! His brother Sun Ce died rashly, how could this mere child be capable of maintaining the family business? He is only clinging to life in Jiangdong by relying on Zhou Yu, Zhang Zhao and other former subordinates of Sun Ce. In addition, he has few soldiers and weak generals, and no courage on land. He is truly a frog in a puddle, and will never amount to anything!”

"Liu Biao of Jingzhou, though nominally a member of the imperial clan, has no real ambition. He possesses fertile land and an army of 100,000, yet he is content with his lot and cowers like a dog guarding a door. If he dared to launch a surprise attack on Xuchang while I was confronting Cao Cao at Guandu, he would have some courage. But alas, he is nothing but a coward."

"Liu Zhang of Yizhou was incompetent and weak. Although Western Shu was rich, the people were poor and the army was demoralized. In addition, Zhang Lu's sorcery caused trouble. At that time, Liu Zhang was trapped in Sichuan, which was tantamount to his own destruction."

"The rest, such as Ma Teng and Han Sui of Xiliang, are nothing but brutes, brutes who run wild on the border relying on the power of the Qiang and Hu people. If they do not have external support, they will sooner or later become dry bones in the tomb."

After making these boastful remarks, Yuan Shao was in high spirits, as if the empire was already in his grasp.

Then, Yuan Shao changed the subject, his gaze fixed intently on Liu Bei, whether intentionally or unintentionally: "When I commented on the world, I deliberately avoided mentioning you and me present here. Xuande, what do you think of me and Xuande compared to these figures?"

Liu Bei immediately became alert.

Yuan Shao dismissed Cao Cao, Sun Quan, Liu Biao, Liu Zhang, and Ma Han one by one, leaving only the two of them silent. Now, he asked Liu Bei to give his opinion. If this wasn't a test and a sign of suspicion, Liu Bei would absolutely not believe it.

Remembering Zhuge Liang's instructions before his departure, Liu Bei immediately humbled himself and said, "General, please forgive my ignorance. I have always been unaware of the big picture; otherwise, I would not have lost Xuzhou and ended up in this predicament."

Yuan Shao laughed loudly: "Xuande is too modest! How can you be blamed for the loss of Xuzhou? Tao Qian left behind a mess, which was called ceding the province, but in reality, it was just giving you the city of Xiapi. At that time, we were beset by internal and external troubles. Even if I had personally been to Xiapi, I might not have been able to hold it."

Liu Bei adopted an even more humble stance: "General, you are a descendant of four generations of high-ranking officials. If you had been stationed in Xuzhou at that time, you would have surely swept across the world. How dare any villains cause trouble? With the reputation of four generations of high-ranking officials, how could you be in such a sorry state as I am?"

Yuan Shao squinted at Liu Bei for a moment, then suddenly chuckled dryly, "Enough, enough, discussing the world really puts Xuande in a difficult position."

The tone shifted again, Yuan Shao's voice deepening: "Back in Ye City, I consulted with many about the succession, saying, 'Cao Cao is eyeing Henan with hostility, and the matter of succession cannot be delayed any longer. I have three sons. My eldest son, Tan, is hot-tempered and prone to killing; my second son, Xi, is weak and cowardly, making him unsuitable as heir; only my third son possesses the appearance of a hero and is respectful to scholars. I intend to make Shang my heir.' However, Shen Pei, Feng Ji, and others supported Shang, while Guo Tu, Xin Ping, and others supported Tan. Opinions were divided, and I found it difficult to decide. That's why I used the excuse of going to Zhongshan to escape the summer heat. Xuande has been in Hebei for a long time and must be quite familiar with my sons. I wonder which of my sons Xuande thinks is most suitable as his heir?"

really.

The strategist's prediction came true again.

Yuan Shao would ask me either about the overall situation of the world or about Yuan Shang and Yuan Tan.

Remembering Zhuge Liang's instructions, Liu Bei once again pretended to be ignorant: "This is a matter of the General's family, and I dare not speak rashly."

Yuan Shao's smile remained unchanged, but his words revealed pressure: "Why have you become so distant, Xuande? Although we are not brothers, we are friends. Please speak freely."

No matter how Yuan Shao questioned him, Liu Bei always feigned ignorance. Yuan Shao's brows furrowed, and his tone turned cold: "Xuande, you don't consider me a friend. If you insist on this—"

Seeing that Yuan Shao was showing signs of anger, Liu Bei quickly stood up and said, "General, please allow me to use the restroom for a moment, and I will answer you later when I return."

Yuan Shao remained calm and waved his hand, saying, "Very well, I will stay here and wait for Xuande."

Liu Bei then got up and, as he passed Zhuge Liang's table, gave him a wink.

Zhuge Liang understood and also got up from his seat, pretending to go to the toilet.

Watching Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang exit the main hall one after the other, Xu You stood up and went to Yuan Shao, saying, "Zhuge Liang is very tight-lipped. How is the situation on the General's side?"

Yuan Shao's face was ashen, his brows furrowed slightly: "Since Xuande is unwilling to discuss the overall situation with me, nor is he willing to discuss the matter of the three sons, I pretended to be angry just now, and Xuande got up and lied that he was going to the toilet."

Xu You nodded slightly: "Zhuge Liang also lied about going to the toilet. It seems that the two of them went down to the hall to discuss their story."

Yuan Shao snorted coldly, his eyes gleaming: "I will wait and see what brilliant ideas Xuande will have when he returns!"

And below the hall.

Liu Bei then truthfully recounted what Yuan Shao had just said, and added, "Yuan Shao first talked about the overall situation, and then about establishing an heir. He wants me to state my position. What do you think I should say, strategist?"

Zhuge Liang shushed him, glanced around, and pulled Liu Bei to a secluded spot, saying, "When Yuan Shao asks again later, General, you can answer like this: 'Since ancient times, deposing the eldest son and establishing the youngest has been a path to disaster. The dispute between the Prince of Hongnong and the Prince of Chenliu in the past is a lesson from the past. We must not spoil our youngest son and establish him as heir.'"

Liu Bei was puzzled: "But Yuan Shao clearly favors his younger sons. If I answer like this, I'm afraid I'll displease Yuan Shao."

Zhuge Liang smiled confidently: "General, there is no need to worry. At present, Yuan Shao has many supporters of Yuan Tan. If you support Yuan Tan, Yuan Shao will at most weigh the pros and cons. If you support Yuan Shang, he may allow you to enter Ye City again. As for supporting Yuan Xi, you must not express your opinion publicly."

Liu Bei understood.

Subsequently.

Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang returned to the banquet.

Yuan Shao asked again, "Has Xuande thought this through?"

Liu Bei nodded in agreement, saying, "Since ancient times, deposing the eldest son in favor of the youngest has been a path to disaster. The conflict between the Prince of Hongnong and the Prince of Chenliu in the past serves as a warning. General, you must not spoil your son and establish your younger son as heir."

Yuan Shao's expression changed, and he looked at Liu Bei with a complicated look: "Is that really what Xuande thinks?"

Liu Bei sighed softly, "This is a matter of the General's family, and I should not speak presumptuously. But since the General has asked, I can only tell the truth."

　Update 4 is here!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)