Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 108 Gongtai, do not worry, you have a brilliant plan.

In the dimly lit room, Lü Bu and Chen Gong stood facing each other, silent.

After a long while, Lü Bu, who had been keeping his eyes downcast, suddenly looked up at Chen Gong.

"Gongtai, do you think my worthy brother Xuande will truly be content after I take Xuzhou from him?"

"Absolutely impossible! Liu Bei harbored great ambitions and wanted to achieve great things."

Now, because of the general, he has lost his foothold and is trapped in the quagmire of Yuzhou, fighting tooth and nail with Yuan Shulu. How could he possibly accept this?

Lu Bu nodded slightly, his expression shifting between light and dark.

"Gongtai, what do you think if I don't help Liu Bei this time, but instead help Yuan Gonglu?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Gong was greatly alarmed and hurriedly asked what it was.

"Why do you say that, General? Did Yuan Shu's envoy say something to you?"

After a long while, in the flickering candlelight, a cold smile appeared on Lü Bu's face.

He said, "If the emperor is made, then I will be the general and my daughter will be the empress."

"How could Fengxian so easily believe that?"

Upon hearing Lü Bu's words, Chen Gong was so anxious that he even called out his courtesy name.

"Fengxian, don't make a mistake! Do you remember the two times you were at your wits' end and wanted to seek refuge with Yuan Gonglu?"

When you fled Luoyang, your first thought was to join Yuan Shu, but he refused because he thought you were fickle and untrustworthy. So you went north to join Yuan Shao.

Later, Fengxian escaped from Yuan Shao and returned to Yuan Shu, but he still refused because he thought the general was fickle.

He rejected Fengxian time and time again, showing that he was a high-and-mighty person who looked down on you.

Why did they suddenly change their minds and not only agree to a marriage alliance with you, but also promise you great benefits from high-ranking officials and dignitaries?
Nothing more than a scheme.

He currently needs the general not to support Liu Bei so that he can take over the entire Yu Province. He also has his eye on the general's Xu Province, wanting to obtain it without losing a single soldier. That is why he has this plan of maintaining a distant relationship.

How can one believe what others say when they are plotting against them?

Seeing Lü Bu's inscrutable expression, Chen Gong earnestly tried to persuade him.

Is it you, General, that Yuan Shu values?
If that's the case, the general had surrendered twice and would have already been under his command, so why is it like this now?

Ultimately, what he valued was nothing more than Xuzhou, the general's troops, and the benefits the general could gain by not rescuing Liu Bei.

If we were to form a marriage alliance, and I were to become a general for Yuan Gonglu, he might come to me for grain or troops. If I were to comply, I would be exhausted from running around, doing all the work for him to conquer cities and territories.

However, if he refuses, then the affection for marriage with him will be severed, which is called abandoning one's relatives to start a war.

As the saying goes, those who gather for profit will part ways when profit is gone. When they can no longer bring you benefit, does the general still remember his fate in Yuan Shao's camp?

Upon hearing Chen Gong mention Yuan Shao, Lü Bu's expression turned slightly serious.

“What Gongtai said is very true. Back then, I was in Changshan helping Yuan Shao to fight against Zhang Yan.”

Leading only a few dozen cavalrymen, he personally braved arrows and stones, charging into battle for more than ten days, scattering tens of thousands of Zhang Yan's troops and forcing them to flee into the Black Mountain.

However, despite such great merit, he not only failed to receive any reward, but was also deeply feared and nearly killed.

This is precisely because Yuan Shao needed me when he was attacking Zhang Yan, but after Zhang Yan was pacified, he no longer needed me.

Seeing that he had finally listened, Chen Gong breathed a sigh of relief, only to hear Lu Bu's astonishing words.

“Gongtai, since the marriage alliance is not feasible, what do you think about me becoming his godfather?”
I heard that Yuan Shu liked to adopt sons, and he even said to Sun Ce, "Your youngest son is often ill; you should encourage him."

Although I am not talented, I am far superior to Sun Ce. If Sun Ce can be the best, why can't I?

"General, you must not!" Chen Gong exclaimed in horror. "Marrying off our daughter might offer a glimmer of hope, but if she becomes a godfather, the army will arrive in an instant, and we will all die without a burial place."

Lü Bu: "."

Seeing Chen Gong's panicked expression and the hint of fear in his eyes, Lü Bu also looked embarrassed.

So what if Bu just has a godfather? Is it that scary? If Sun Ce can have one, why can't I?

However, Chen Gong's opposition was so vehement that he was on the verge of tears, so Lü Bu had no choice but to give up.

"What I just said was a joke, Gongtai, please don't take it seriously."

However, if we follow Gongtai's wishes, he will neither form a marriage alliance nor acknowledge a godfather, but rather assist Liu Bei.

But Liu Bei lost Xuzhou, and I fear he harbors ill intentions towards me. He is highly respected in Xuzhou, and there are people in the city who are colluding with him. If I help him now, he will surely become a problem in the long run.

"Does Gongtai intend for me to raise tigers in Pei State?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Gong frowned. "If we rescue Liu Bei now, it may cause internal trouble. But if we don't rescue Liu Bei, and Yuan Shu destroys Liu Bei and seizes Yuzhou, external troubles will come again."

Beset by internal and external troubles, it's truly a dilemma.

However, before he could come up with a solution, Lü Bu suddenly burst into laughter.

"Got it!"
"Gongtai, I have a plan to make their two families check and balance each other."

Having just been presented with the words of adoptive father, Chen Gong was somewhat flustered. "General, please try to speak?"

"While assisting Liu Bei, they also withheld the betrothal gifts. Regarding the marriage alliance with Yuan Shu, they neither agreed nor refused, only considering it for discussion."

If Liu Bei faces internal troubles at that time, I will threaten him by agreeing to a marriage alliance with Yuan Shu and jointly destroying him. He will certainly not dare to act rashly.

If Yuan Shu were to launch an external attack against me, I would threaten to refuse to form a marriage alliance with him and instead assist Liu Bei, which would make him wary.

With both sides checking and balancing each other, neither dares to act rashly, and I can rest easy in Xuzhou without worry.

Even if Yuan Shu were to actually declare himself emperor in the future, given his growing power, a marriage alliance should be arranged to secure his place in the new dynasty. However, if he were to fall from grace, the marriage alliance should be refused to avoid becoming relatives of a rebel.

The more Lü Bu spoke, the more reasonable he felt, and he smugly addressed Chen Gong.

"In your opinion, Gongtai, is this plan truly brilliant? Am I, Lü Bu, not a wise man of this era?"

Chen Gong: "."

Seeing that Lü Bu had come up with such a capricious and "brilliant" plan, and was as happy as a child, Chen Gong felt embarrassed to discourage him.

It can only be said that this strategy takes the word "fickle" to its fullest extent, and it's fortunate that you were able to come up with it, as it perfectly matches Chen Gong's preconceived notion of Lü Bu.

He sighed wearily, “General, your plan is well thought out, but such fickle and manipulative tactics may cause resentment between the two sides, leading to a complete breakdown in relations and ultimately bringing disaster upon ourselves.”

However, Lü Bu, who thought he had come up with a brilliant plan, was no longer willing to listen to Chen Gong's advice.
"What Gongtai said, how could I not know it?"
I have my own way of handling this, so that neither of his families will blame me.

After saying this, he didn't listen to Chen Gong say anything more and changed the subject to give instructions.

"I will handle this matter, Gongtai, do not worry. There is another important matter that cannot be handled without your help."

You previously mentioned that there might be troublemakers in the city, and I won't hide it from you now; I already have someone in mind.

I urge you, sir, to discreetly investigate this matter for me, lest others, unaware of the gravity of the situation, act rashly and alert the enemy.

Don't worry?

Chen Gongxin thought to himself, "It is precisely because of your brilliant plan that I am so worried!"
However, Lü Bu was the lord, and he was a subject. At this moment, the lord had already made a decision and had important instructions to give.

What else could Chen Gongtai, a mere scholar, do but obey orders?
He had no choice but to accept the order and leave, praying that Lü Bu's brilliant plan would not bring him great disaster.

(End of this chapter)