The Fat Dong's Rule 10 - (Supernatural Asia, DongZhuo!SI)
The best way to be a 'winner' as you conclude a war is to not be too much of a 'sore winner'.
In Chinese History, that was how some chads shaped destiny within lengthy rules (or perished for trusting the wrong bunch of morons'). Still, the point I am trying to bring up is that... I am not going to kill Liu Bei and Cao Cao.
I know, unpopular move from a meta-level, but it was actually a verily good option considering I wasn't just letting them go without some warnings (and restrictions I could use to keep them by the balls). Both Liu Bei and Cao Cao were respectable 'governors' in their current provinces. Ambitious, yes, but they were somewhat loved by their peasants due to their goodish administration.
In a time where China has yet to hear something about the 'Red Book', the notion of Revolution sounds like an absurd concept. After all, most of those governors were seen by the locals as 'handpicked by the divine guy, so they had religious plot armor'.
With that being said, if I tried to remove them through the unfunny way, I would only be seen as a legit tyrant. The sheer amount of land I would have to restock with loyalists that could do numbers would be so extensive, that someone may see this as an outright coup.
Once again, stepping on eggshells with my fat ass and hoping that none of those broke under my weight. A miraculous feat, but one that I kind of was slowly getting a grasp over as I treated the meeting with Cao Cao and Liu Bei with utmost calm and focus.
The planning steps were well-crafted, the duo presented before the throne room. I sat below the little emperor, the little guy (who had grown in a bit of a lazy teenager), was giving them the flattest look possible. Couldn't blame him since I told him the harsh truth on why these two were there and why it was best to not kill them.
He was annoyed he couldn't remove them, but the boy had found a 'distraction' that made him understand the plight of the peasants: a young girl that had a certain rural beauty, and that was quick to get smitten to the 'little Emperor' as much as the boy got into her.
I made sure her parents caused no issues, promising them that the girl would be warded from any trouble as the Emperor got into 'courting' her. The effort was adorable, and it sure brought up a fairly amusing side of the boy's mother as He was dividing her focus between keep an eye on her older son, and handling our child.
Little Yating was an adorable babe that no one questioned in being the last son of the previous emperor. The timing worked barely fine, and no one could imagine the Empress being a 'cheater' in that regard. Still, no sex from her as she was now dabbling with twice the motherhood now.
Back to the main topic of the day, I was soon greeting my guests. Cao Cao, Liu Bei... and Bao Xun. The last one was the youngest son of Bao Xin, the former leader of the Shandong Peninsula that perished in the war. The boy looked about the right age for what I had contemplated of doing and what I had asked, from the bottom of my heart, for a certain someone to handle.
I will just say that, even with all sorts of good intentions and concessions, my little Dong Bai was not that pleased with what I asked her to do. But she sat beside me nonetheless, and stared daggers at the fidgeting teen.
"Now that you are all here and that you have given grace to the Emperor by kowtowing to him, I seek to make this point clear to all... clemency is not due to any of you. You dared to raise the banner of rebellion with a feeble excuse, you dared to try and incite the fall of the Empire, and you dared to selfishly expand your fiefs through flimsy efforts that brought you here as defeated warriors."
There was a pause, and I Liu Bei sweating bullets. The guy was a pro-Emperor. And I bet he hadn't expected me to rely on the young man to exert a punishment on them all. He bowed low, something that Bao Xun tried to mimic only for Cao Cao to stop him.
"Alas, this is not a tyranny. The rule of the heaven is unbound by moral ambiguity, and the judgment that shall be served has been shaped through a long time of considerations and understanding that no simple 'strike' will yield the results of learning to be respectful of the imperial authority."
A scroll was retrieved and I started to read from it.
"To Cao Cao, you shall lose some of the lands you gained wrongfully. A proper map shall be provided for your resized fief, but alas you greatest punishment shall be to have a detachment of Imperial troops make sure that your army shall never, unless strictly demanded by the emperor, exceed a specific number indicated by this scroll that you shall receive at once."
I passed the document to the man and he growled at the paper, but could live happily knowing I wasn't looting and pillaging his shit. We need the money from the taxes he paid, after all.
Another scroll was retrieved, and I read from it.
"To Liu Bei, your punishment shall be akin to Cao Cao, but the size of your army shall be greater due to the current woes afflicting your land and to oppose any potential opportunism from other governors surrounding your fief. Alas, Yuan Shang's acquisition shall be confirmed by this treaty and his conquest has been legitimized."
Liu Bei closed his eyes and didn't even read the scroll as a servant took it to him. And finally it was time for the biggest 'loser'.
"To Bao Xun, it would be improper to say you bear sins for your father's decisions. However, this decision is bound by actions that your father took regardless of the potential ramifications. Your father obtained power within 'your' fief through treachery and dishonor, but there is a way to redeem yourself. Your army shall be resized too, but you shall be put through an arranged marriage with Lady Dong Bai, and be made Lord-Consort as Lady Dong Bai shall become the new ruler of the province. The firstborn shall bear the name 'Dong', your other children shall bear the name 'Bao'. This is a document read, thought, and signed by the Heavenly One. So please, bear that in mind."
I could see the boy at loss. Eyes wide open, shock evident on his face, and the sinking realization that he was going to marry someone that was going to wield most of the power to what should have been 'his'. While he looked miserable, I could sense the irritation swelling within Dong Bai. My smart granddaughter may have wanted a fief, but she had to claim it by marrying a 'losing wimp'.
I had to tell her that she wouldn't be alone as she would wield most of the power, as Da and Xiao Qiao would join her as the rightful heiresses to some of the regions within the peninsula. They were too young to be put in marriages, but they understood that this departure was needed to better organize their father's legacy.
And while I could tell the three morons wanted to lament back on the treaty, they all signed it and were confined to their room until it was time for them and their 'new' armies to depart. Bao Xun would linger a few more wings for the planned wedding, something that Bai won me over to see it unfold within Luoyang and with the imperial blessing.
A power move, and also one last effort from a very upset child that didn't want to leave her family. She was young but... she was smart and strong. She would make it, after all I have overseen her efforts in the last few years and the girl had the means and the traits to be a powerful leader in due time- she just needed a fief to truly command rather than be given limited chores.
After making sure that this entire situation was somewhat wrapped up, I could finally turn my attention to the peacetime focus: new laws about social guarantees, pensions, and a simplification to taxation as a whole. Lots of stuff that required focus, care, and...
"I thought I had assigned you to Lady Zhurong."
My flat comment was aimed at the smiling Diao Chan as she was, supposedly, been 're-assigned' by Zhurong to help me around. Now, Wushe's presence would usually be off-putting for many women in trying to seduce me but... Well, Diao Chan was playing it clever.
She wasn't being overtly sexual, but I had a feeling this horny bitch may not be trying to dethrone me. My position was too safe, Lu Bu was actively avoiding her, and she was still zeroing for me. Now, I may be paranoid, but I could tell by now that...
Well, Diao was downright horny - hideously so. Not much that I didn't like the approach, but the sheer amount of determination she was putting into that effort was enough to highligh that she was going to not give up on her attempts. And I guess I was looking forward to see what her current plot is all about.
All the while I continued to get my peacetime mindset geared into reforming the empire as a whole now that things were safer...
And I blissfully ignored that something troubling was getting stirred up in the northern lands of the throatsingers.
AN
Next time... two different POVs! First we have Wushe and her current situation (which is far amusing that she would like), and then... Dong Bai misses home!