“Turmoil”: Battle for the Han Empire sample (Act I) -- T. P. M. Thorne

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“…Don’t we…?” Chen Qun asked.
What nonsense are you spouting???” Zhang Fei barked. “He’s evil and stupid! He killed his stepfather, Ding Yuan, and joined Dong Zhuo! He helped to kill hundreds of people in Luoyang for Dong Zhuo! He helped Dong Zhuo to kill the Son of Heaven and loot the tombs of His Majesty’s ancestors!
Liu Bei groaned as a sign of his grief at the fate of his ancestors and relations.
“I never saw you as caring much for the emperor, Yide!” Jian Yong teased.
This is no time for clowning about, Jian Yong!” Zhang Fei continued. “I’m serious! We have enough trouble with idiots like Cao Cao and Yuan Shu without inviting that walking disaster to stay here!
“He might be a useful buffer against Cao Cao,” Chen Qun suggested.
Or a bloody good excuse for Cao Cao to use to come back here and start killing helpless people again!” Zhang Fei retorted.
“…I never thought I’d say it, but Yide is making very good sense,” Liu Bei said. “Mister Chen Qun, I appreciate that intrigue can sometimes involve compromising one’s values and making odd choices, but have I not done that enough…? Many - doubtless including Gongsun Bogui - are cross with me for coming here to repel Cao Cao and then capitulating to his master; what would people say if I now allowed Lü Bu - Dong Zhuo’s infamous attack dog - to come and live here…?”
“What will happen if we attempt to turn him away…?” Chen Yuanfang asked.
Even Zhang Fei was silent in response; Guan Yu, Mi Zhu, Mi Fang, Jian Yong and Chen Qun nodded slowly and purposefully.

“This is Lü Bu we’re talking about,” Chen Yuanfang continued. “The man is a rabid dog in the midst of a battle, and near-unstoppable in single combat: I was forced to attend quite a few banquets where his jousting was part of the entertainment, and not once did anyone best him fairly… not once. His men and his peers may not necessarily like him, but they admire his martial prowess and fear his athleticism and his strength. His only weaknesses are his insatiable greed, recklessness and susceptibility to flattery and beautiful women. I do not count his dishonesty and untrustworthiness as weaknesses because they are oftentimes more harmful to his enemies than to himself. Add to that his latest advantage - the assistance of not one, but three of Cao Cao’s adviser-officials, and the cunning Chen Gong alone would be enough of a worry - and we must surely consider cordiality over aggression.”
Liu Bei turned his gaze from Chen Yuanfang to Zhang Fei.
“…We could fight him, surely, all of us…?” Zhang Fei protested. “Me, Yunchang, Chen Dao, and Mi Zhu, Mi Fang, Sun Qian, the Chens, Jian Yong-”
“What am I doing, Yide…? …Pulling silly faces to scare him away?” Jian Yong asked irritably. “Elder Chen is right, sad to say: if we intimidate Bu, he’ll turn nasty. That’s bad enough: in the old days when he didn’t have advisers, he could be tricked. But Chen Gong outwitted Cao Cao - the ‘Crafty Villain’ - and turned a lot of his allies - including lifelong friends - against him. Yeah, I know, a lot of them defected because of what he did here, but look how many were prepared to work with Lü Bu - Lü Bu, who helped to kill an emperor and loot the tombs, like you said!”

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