Brother, stop curling up! You're curling up like the founder of the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 222 A Clumsy Beauty Trap, Liu Bei Turns the Tables (Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets)
One woman married two men?

Zhong Ji was stunned for a moment, and his gaze toward Dong Cheng became increasingly strange.

Advising Dong Cheng to use his daughter to win over Lü Bu is a normal tactic for winning over someone.

To marry one woman to two men is a scheme that completely disregards the daughter's humanity!
"This is all for His Majesty!"

Faced with Zhong Ji's surprise and doubt, Dong Cheng remained calm and his eyes were firm.

Seeing that Dong Cheng was determined, Zhong Ji could not persuade him further and could only say, "If this plan succeeds, His Majesty will certainly not mistreat Minister Dong."

After seeing Zhong Ji off, Dong Cheng immediately sought out his daughter, Dong Xiu, to discuss the matter.

Upon hearing that Dong Cheng intended to marry his daughter to two men, Dong Xiu's expression changed drastically: "Father, if this is the case, how will I ever face anyone again?"

Dong Cheng's expression was stern: "Why do you say such things, Ah Xiu? This is your chance to rise to prominence. Zhong Ji also has a daughter, yet he insists on having Ah Xiu win over Lü Bu. His intentions are despicable."

“If this plan succeeds, Zhong Ji will have made a great contribution, while A Xiu will only be Lü Bu’s concubine. His Majesty may not really trust Lü Bu, and my father and I will be implicated in the future. If this plan fails, my uncle will also resent my father and me.”

"Therefore, regardless of victory or defeat, my daughter and I will not survive in the future."

Dong Xiu was even more surprised: "Father, since you knew it was dangerous, why did you agree to Zhong Ji's request?"

Dong Cheng sneered, "If I don't agree to Zhong Ji's request, I will surely be harmed by him. Although I have agreed to Zhong Ji's request, I don't need to actually carry out the plan. I can pretend to carry out the plan, and A Xiu can tell the Imperial Uncle about her predicament."

"The Imperial Uncle is a hero of our time. Many people are vying to become his concubine but have no chance. The Imperial Uncle has no children yet. If Ah Xiu can take this opportunity to become the Imperial Uncle's concubine and work hard to give birth to a son for him, my father and I can become prominent because of the Imperial Uncle."

Upon hearing Dong Cheng's plan, Dong Xiu finally understood Dong Cheng's deeper meaning, and her grievances and dissatisfaction turned into joy.

In this day and age, no one in the world possesses more heroic spirit than Liu Bei.

Although Liu Xie was the emperor, most of the country was conquered by Liu Bei.

As Dong Cheng said, many people are vying to become Liu Bei's concubine but have no chance. If Dong Xiu could take this opportunity to become Liu Bei's concubine, it would be a chance for him to rise to prominence.

Having figured out the key point, Dong Xiu no longer hesitated and said, "Your daughter will obey your father's command."

A smile appeared on Dong Cheng's lips.

Dong Cheng's reluctance to join the Lingyan Army was not because he was unwilling to serve Liu Bei, but because he felt he could not adapt to the Lingyan Army and wanted to find another way to advance his career.

Zhong Ji's arrival today gave Dong Cheng the perfect opportunity.

It would be far safer to gain prominence through one's daughter than to join the Lingyan Army and achieve meritorious service.

After making preparations, Dong Cheng took advantage of the court assembly to falsely claim that there was a happy occasion at home and invited Liu Bei to a banquet.

Given that Dong Cheng had been diligent and conscientious since entering the court as a court attendant, Liu Bei did not refuse Dong Cheng's invitation. Liu Bei often attended similar banquets in Luoyang.

During the banquet.

Dong Cheng then ordered his daughter, Dong Xiu, to lead the dance.

In terms of both temperament and appearance, Dong Xiu was indeed unique, which was the source of Dong Cheng's confidence in inviting Liu Bei to the banquet.

Then, Dong Cheng had Dong Xiu stand aside and pour wine for Liu Bei.

When the wine was half-finished, Dong Cheng excused himself to change his clothes and temporarily left.

After Dong Cheng left, Dong Xiu acted out Dong Cheng's script, saying, "I beg you, Imperial Uncle, to save my father's life."

Looking at Dong Xiu kneeling and bowing, Liu Bei's lips curled into a playful smile.

Dong Cheng lied and said there was a happy occasion at home, but Liu Bei hadn't seen anything auspicious even though the banquet was halfway through, which clearly meant there was something else going on.

Liu Bei didn't urge him, and watched Dong Cheng's performance quietly.

While Dong Cheng was away, Dong Xiu knelt down and begged for help, which seemed very convincing, but in Liu Bei's mind, it was already full of flaws.

Liu Bei wanted to figure out what tricks Dong Cheng was up to, but he didn't expose him. Instead, he asked, "You are the daughter of Minister Dong. Who would want your life?"

Dong Xiu wept and said, “Uncle, you are unaware of this. The other day, the Grand Herald came to my father, wanting to first betroth me to you, then to Lü Bu, in order to win Lü Bu over to serve His Majesty. My father was afraid that the Grand Herald held a high position and was also a meritorious official who helped establish His Majesty, so he had no choice but to agree.”

"However, I admire Your Majesty deeply and do not wish for this. If I could become Your Majesty's concubine in this life, it would be a great blessing. How could I possibly follow someone else? I also do not wish for my father to commit such a grave mistake. Therefore, I truthfully tell Your Majesty and beg Your Majesty to forgive my father's disrespect."

The Great Herald's Collection of Categories?
So, after failing in hunting, they resorted to using their feminine wiles?
What's the point of playing so many fancy tricks?
Liu Bei suddenly felt bored.

I thought something exciting was going to happen, but it turned out to be just a clumsy honey trap.

As for Dong Xiu's words, Liu Bei only believed half of them.

In Luoyang, there were far too many people willing to offer their daughters to Liu Bei as concubines.

There were even more direct approaches than those of Dong Xiu.

Because Liu Bei did not clear the streets when he went out, and often chatted with peddlers and farmers, some people even sent their daughters to Liu Bei by mistake, hoping to throw themselves into his arms.

Dong Xiu's half-hearted words were unremarkable.

"Let Minister Dong come in. It's not good for him to stay outside in the cold wind." Liu Bei said calmly, and the white-feathered soldiers guarding him strode out and then brought Dong Cheng in.

Dong Cheng glanced at Dong Xiu and his heart sank. He forced himself to apologize to Liu Bei and lied, saying, "Uncle, please forgive me. I was not changing clothes just now. I was just too drunk to drink, so I went out to avoid drinking."

Seeing the anxious father and daughter, Liu Bei did not speak, but slowly poured a cup of wine and then savored it.

The heavy atmosphere made Dong Cheng and his daughter even more uneasy, and they couldn't help but tremble.

"Dong Cheng, for what you did today, I should have sent you to the Court of Justice to be punished according to the law." The unhurried words fell on Dong Cheng's ears like a thunderbolt, making Dong Cheng's heart jump into his throat.

Then Liu Bei changed the subject, saying, "Considering your courage, I'll give you a chance to save yourself. If you're willing to do something for me, I'll forgive and forget; if you can't, then you shouldn't stay in Luoyang."

Upon hearing Liu Bei's words, Dong Cheng immediately realized that his tricks had not fooled Liu Bei, and he was even more shocked. He hurriedly replied, "Please give your instructions, Imperial Uncle."

Liu Bei's gaze sharpened slightly: "Go to Jingzhou and surrender to Yuan Shu. Then bring back two people for me. One is Pang Tong, the nephew of Pang Degong, a famous scholar from Xiangyang, and the other is Zhang Ji, the renowned physician from Nanyang."

Dong Cheng looked up in shock: "Uncle, please forgive me. Even if I could bring these two back, Yuan Shu might not be willing to use me, let alone whether I can bring them back."

Liu Bei smiled and said, "Your beauty trap is quite good, but I think it can be modified a little."

"You can first betroth your daughter to Lü Bu, then to me. Once I take your daughter, Lü Bu will harbor resentment towards me. Lü Bu, known for his treacherous nature and greed, will angrily attempt to assassinate me but will be defeated. Afterward, Lü Bu will take you and a hundred or so cavalrymen to Jingzhou to join Yuan Shu." "In this way, you can both report to Zhong Ji and have your daughter become my concubine. You can also serve as my inside agent under Yuan Shu, gaining merit. Although there is danger, fortune favors the bold. Are you willing?"

Dong Cheng was even more astonished, and he was quickly weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

After a moment, Dong Cheng gritted his teeth and said, "This humble official is willing to carry out the plan for the Imperial Uncle."

“Those who understand the times are wise, and Minister Dong’s choice is very wise.” Liu Bei stood up and said, “Tomorrow morning, you can host a banquet for Lü Bu, and I will come to the banquet again tomorrow afternoon.”

After seeing Liu Bei off, Dong Cheng felt his back was soaked with sweat.

"Fortunately, we didn't become enemies with the Imperial Uncle, otherwise my daughter and I would both be dead!" Dong Cheng said with lingering fear.

He then turned to Dong Xiu and said, “Although it is not in accordance with the plan, since the Imperial Uncle is willing to let A Xiu be a concubine, my father and I will be able to gain prominence in the future. From now on, when you are by the Imperial Uncle’s side, remember to be honest in everything and never play tricks like you did today.”

“If it weren’t for the fact that my uncle had a purpose in helping me today, my father and I would have been hated by him as well.”

Dong Xiu's face was also pale; the fear of being seen through by Liu Bei had not yet completely dissipated.

"My daughter understands."

the other side.

Upon returning to the General's Mansion, Liu Bei immediately summoned Lü Bu and explained his plan to march south.

Lu Bu was puzzled: "Uncle, forgive my bluntness, but if we want to fight Yuan Shu, why do we need to be his inside man? Yuan Shu can only show off in Jiangnan. If he encounters you, Uncle, we can capture him alive in one battle."

Liu Bei calmly replied, "If I wanted to capture Yuan Shu, I could have done so when he attacked Guanzhong. The reason I'm keeping Yuan Shu alive is because I have to deal not only with Yuan Shu, but also with the powerful clans and aristocratic families entrenched in Jingzhou and Yangzhou."

"I need to use Yuan Shu to weaken the powerful clans in Jingzhou and Yangzhou, and then govern these two provinces more effectively. I also need Brother Fengxian to find some talented people for me to enter Luoyang."

"I was originally worried about how to get Brother Fengxian to join Yuan Shu's forces in a reasonable way, but I didn't expect His Majesty in the palace to be so eager to take over the government. He even had Zhong Ji instigate Dong Cheng to use a beauty trap to sow discord between us."

"Now that the opportunity is right in front of me, how can I let it slip by? Brother Fengxian, would you be willing to help me?"

Lu Bu hesitated and said, "But I've never been an inside agent before, and I don't know if I can fool Yuan Shu."

Liu Bei chuckled lightly: "Brother Fengxian, you don't need to worry about whether you can deceive Yuan Shu. Everyone except Yuan Shu can be your enemy. To Yuan Shu, Brother Fengxian is a loyal subject!"

After carefully explaining to Lü Bu what it meant to be a loyal subject, Lü Bu suddenly understood: "Uncle, rest assured, I know what to do now."

After discussing the specific plan, Lü Bu went to Dong Cheng's residence early the next morning.

He then left Dong Cheng's residence, prepared lavish gifts, and spread the word throughout the streets that he wanted to take Dong Cheng's daughter as a concubine.

By the afternoon.

Liu Bei went to Dong Cheng's residence for another banquet, and then brought Dong Xiu back to the General's Mansion.

That evening, Lü Bu went to see Dong Cheng with gifts, only to find that Dong Xiu had been taken away by Liu Bei. He then proceeded to berate Liu Bei in Dong Cheng's residence.

The news quickly reached Zhong Ji's ears.

Zhong Ji was overjoyed and, together with Fu Wan and Liu Ai, went to the palace to tell Liu Xie the good news.

"Dong Cheng's plan succeeded? That scoundrel Lü Bu actually turned against the Imperial Uncle for a woman, how foolish!" Liu Xie couldn't help but feel excited.

Fu Wan suggested, "We can spread this news in Luoyang. Lü Bu and the Imperial Uncle are now at odds over Dong Cheng's daughter. This will not only make Lü Bu hate the Imperial Uncle even more, but also damage the Imperial Uncle's prestige."

Liu Ai laughed loudly: "Your Majesty has always presented a wise and sagacious image to the outside world, yet now you are fighting with your subordinates over a woman. If Lü Bu were to rebel again, even more of your valiant generals would become dissatisfied. In this way, Your Majesty can win over those generals who are dissatisfied with Your Majesty and gradually seize military power!"

Zhong Ji also laughed: "I also agree with this plan! However, this plan should be implemented sooner rather than later. Lü Bu is a greedy and treacherous person. If Liu Bei promises Lü Bu benefits, or directly returns Dong Cheng's daughter to Lü Bu, Lü Bu may forget his grudge."

Liu Xie suppressed his excitement: "In that case, my three ministers, please go and do it immediately."

Having received their instructions, the three immediately sent their trusted confidants to spread the news throughout the city.

In no time, news of Lü Bu and Liu Bei vying for Dong Cheng's daughter spread rapidly.

Meanwhile, Lü Bu became increasingly agitated and even broke into Liu Bei's inner chambers. Although he was driven out by Liu Bei's White Feather Army, news of Lü Bu's complaints to Dong Cheng reached Zhong Ji's ears.

Before Zhong Ji could make any move, news arrived that Lü Bu's assassination attempt on Liu Bei had failed, and that he and Dong Cheng had escaped Luoyang with over a hundred cavalrymen.

"Lu Bu attempted to assassinate the Imperial Uncle?"

Zhong Ji felt a cold sweat pouring down his face.

Their plan was merely to win over Lü Bu and suppress Liu Bei's prestige; they did not actually intend to eliminate Liu Bei.

After all, Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu had not yet been defeated. Eliminating Liu Bei before winning over his powerful generals would be tantamount to courting death.

Zhong Ji secretly rejoiced: "What a close call! Lü Bu is indeed a greedy and treacherous person. If Lü Bu had succeeded, it would have been like a tiger leaving Luoyang only to be replaced by a wolf."

Fu Wan and Liu Ai never expected things to turn out this way, with Lü Bu actually attempting to assassinate Liu Bei. This was far beyond what the three of them had anticipated.

For the next few days, Liu Bei went to court with a dark expression.

Zhao Yan, a court advisor, impeached Liu Bei for fighting with Lü Bu over a mere woman, which he felt was beneath the dignity of the Great General. As a result, Liu Bei dragged him out and whipped him thirty times.

a few days later.

Jia Xu went to the General's Mansion to find Liu Bei and told him, "As you predicted, Uncle, Zheng Tai sent his brother Zheng Hun to Jingzhou under a pretext. With Zheng Hun revealing the news, Yuan Shu will not doubt that Lü Bu assassinated you. However, Yuan Shu may not trust Lü Bu."

Liu Bei, confident in his plan, chuckled and said, "Yuan Shu doesn't need to trust Lü Bu; it's enough that Lü Bu has value to be used by Yuan Shu."

"Although Yuan Shu possesses the two provinces of Jing and Yang, it was the Zhou brothers who conquered these two provinces. The three Zhou brothers were also Yuan Shao's men. Yuan Shu wanted to get rid of the three but could not find an opportunity. Just then, Lü Bu marched south, and Yuan Shu would surely use Lü Bu's power to get rid of the three Zhou brothers."

"On the matter of eliminating the Zhou brothers, my thoughts are the same as Yuan Shu's. If Yuan Shu's power is usurped by the Zhou brothers, my plan to split the Yuan family will fail, and Yuan Shu should thank me."

Jia Xu also laughed: "Yuan Shu needed the Imperial Uncle to create an opportunity to declare himself emperor, and he also needed the Imperial Uncle to send people to help him eliminate dissidents. He should indeed thank the Imperial Uncle."

Changing the subject, Jia Xu asked again, "The ones spreading rumors in the city are Fu Wan, Zhong Ji, and people from Liu Ai's household. Now that Lü Bu has marched south as planned, should we capture these three?"

"Let's keep them for now." Liu Bei's expression turned slightly serious. "If Your Majesty wants to reduce my power, you need someone to rely on. If we take down these three, Your Majesty will have to pretend to trust me again. Now that the Central Plains are pacified, whether or not Your Majesty exists is no longer so important. Since Your Majesty doesn't want to live a peaceful life, I have no reason to indulge you."

(End of this chapter)