Chapter 225 - My CO Stash #25 - My Life as the Son of a Tyrant is... Complicate as Expected by Nelyahros01 (OregairuXRomanceOfTheThreeKingdoms) (2/2)

I would correct that statement, majesty is the wrong term. The Prince of Chenliu had a keen mind and the will to act upon what he saw. There is a fine line between majesty and being someone who isn't weak willed, I believe my Foster Father knows it, but chose those words to emphasize his point. He clearly believes that it would be better to place the Prince of Chenliu on the throne. He must have picked up or at least viewed the current Emperor as a figure head whose strings can only be pulled on by certain people. But my Foster Father now bids me ”Tell me, what is your opinion of the Dowager Empress, not the one you told before, tell me your full assessment of her.”

Oh so that means I'm given free reign then to talk as required no matter how crass, brass or rude I am. Taking in a deep breath I inform him ”The Dowager Empress He has climbed far to get where she is now. It is unfortunate that her allies were a bunch of idiots and that she herself has made missteps that can be seized upon by her enemies. She deposed Empress Song for one, the Grand Empress Dowager's ill health and family being murdered He Jin are also there.”

Dong Zhuo nods before stating ”I and the Grand Dowager Empress share the Dong Name (董).”

There is a slightly dangerous tone to his voice, it is not directed at me, but I know the cause for it. He is recalling how the foster mother of the Prince Liu Xie is of his clan. I also should be have kept my mouth shut because there no reasonable way to explain how Dong Zhongs death which was supposed to be suicide was He Jin's doing. Well History tells us it was He Jin's doing because he kicked out the Grand Dowager Empress and then arrested Dong Zhong. The court officials could probably tell where she was sent since they approved it, another nail in their coffin so to speak.

He nods to me to continue and I say ”She and her brother managed to out play Jian Shuo who wished for Liu Xie to be made Emperor instead of Emperor Shao. They had managed to gather everything they needed and the Dowager Empress was now in control in all but name with her brother. Then He Jin underestimated how far the Eunuchs were willing to go to stop him. His arrogance lead to his stupid and completely avoidable demise which leaves the mess we are in. The Dowager Empress she has supped from the Mandate of Heaven and grown drunk on its power.”

”Don't try and put it in a way for simpletons to understand, I believe you care not for the Mandate of Heaven. She was drunk on the power she got, go from there.” My Foster Father does not allow me to simply mock the 'Mandate of Heaven', even though at this point he takes it seriously while I do not.

Taking in a deep breath again I say ”In short she has drunk to deeply and she and He Jin acquired a taste for power and became intoxicated with it. These events have been sobering for her, but sadly once you sip from chalice, you never wish to stop. Let her and her son live, she will try to bring you down and have you laid low while she tries to cling to whatever power she might gain from it. Kill her and her son, then you have justification for every member of the Eastern Han to rise up and cry 'Tyrant'. Killing her son the Emperor will cause her to try to kill you no matter what, killing her son and not her would leave you with, well you know what I said about him before.”

Stroking his beard my foster Father states ”Indeed, we are at a disadvantage. Even if we incorporate all of He Jin's forces Ding Yuan is still here and people from the Capital might join him. That and I hear he has a very impressive bodyguard who if on hand might cause serious damage to us. Li Su has suggested bribing the man to kill Ding Yuan for us. I am unsure if it will work, but I am willing to take that risk.”

”That's a dangerous gamble and sets a very dangerous precedent should he accept.” I say this now cutting into whatever else my foster Father was about to say. He looks somewhat confused me and strokes his beard once more.

Sighing he says ”Which one our people told you everything we found out so far, I told you before if you keep this up. I might just stop having people discover and validate information and instead come straight to you and demand you to explain everything that is going on. Regardless, elaborate on what you mean, also do you know his name?”

”Yes I know his name, Lu Bu, styled Fengxian. I do believe he serves Ding Yuan as his foster son.” A look of understanding comes across my own Foster Father's face as he strokes his beard again.

But it is lost now as he looks confused and my Foster Father asks ”How did you stuck with the Dowager Empress find out so much. I don't recall allowing you to go ahead with what was that called that AL protocol?”

”Alpharius Protocol, no I have not gone ahead with it, but the Capital isn't silent Father. A man can hear many things if he listens.” I say this now as I politely wish I had a mustache to twirl.

Which now prompts Dong Zhuo to tell me ”Actually off topic, now that we are in the capital, I request that you refrain from cutting your hair. Only a few believe that you're my foster son, many believe you're my youngest and latest son, my relatives know that you mean no disrespect when you do so. Not everyone else understands that though.”

I now return to focus saying ”Should you bribe Lu Bu Fengxian and he betrays Ding Yuan, it would mean that you managed to convince him to murder his foster father for a bribe. So how great a bribe will he betray you for, the title of Marquis perhaps? Also if I might add, he may call you 'Father' then you'd have a man known as the 'Bastard of Three Fathers' serving you. If he just calls you 'Master' then he'll be the slave of three surnames.”

”You seem mightily opposed to Lu Bu joining us Yi, it is most unlike you not to seize talent.” He says this to me without understanding that unlike him I do know that in almost every media, iteration and translation of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms and History itself, Lu Bu kills Dong Zhuo ninety five times out of a hundred, but how can you tell a man that.

He's not wrong, we do need him to get rid of Ding Yuan, either to kill him or not be around when we move on Ding Yuan. That said a solution comes to me and I say ”Fine, bribe him and take him and do what you want. But know that you cannot actually trust him. You should never ally with anyone who cannot put down.”

Father plans to purge to Court, Seventy Civil Officials, Fifty Military Officials and over three thousand to three thousand six hundred Imperial Relatives. What's one more name to that list? It's not much to ask, except that the name I need to get down is 'Wang Yun'.

Prologue 4

A full day or more has now passed since we entered the Capital and my foster Father has kept me out of most of the action. I've been stuck back here writing reports and letters to people although I am certain it is his tactic to keep me out of the way. But that said it has allowed me to make sure the list of potential threats and people we will needed to take out includes Wang Yun. So while I was kept out of the fighting which I am not entirely unhappy about, I was able to make sure that if there are purges or rather 'when' there are purges. Wang Yun will not simply escape notice.

As we have all gathered here now, my foster Father states to us all ”I have come to my decisions, Li Su you are to bribe this Lu Bu offer him Chì Tù (Red Hare) and whatever else you see fit to give him. I require him to be brought to my side if we are to move forward and take control of this situation.”

Li Su bows and goes off to do just that, it would appear that my Father has moved to gain Lu Bu's help after all. It may come to bite him, or rather come back to stab him. But regardless of that I have done my best to remove the threat of Wang Yun, but of course in this fickle era someone else is always ready to step up and take up that role.

My father addresses us all again and this time says ”I have thought long and hard about it and have taken on the counsel from all of you on the matter. But I have decided, Emperor Shao was put there by the scheming of the Dowager Empress and his Uncle the General in Chief. He is unfit to bear the Han name or the Mandate of Heaven, to secure the future we must remove him and install Prince Liu Xie.”

Things are happening fast, a little too fast for my liking. But it does make sense if you take into account that the person who is able to act first seals defeat for all his rivals. Especially in a power vacuum this large, acting too late may cause you to die. Dong Zhuo goes on to finish saying ”We will 'inform' the Dowager Empress that she is required to abdicate her titles and that of her son. Once stripped of their titles they will remain under house arrest.”

I can tell that is not the only thing that is going to happen to them. But I keep my mouth closed because there is no reason to save them. To kill them is to start a warcry to bring down 'the Tyrant'. To let them live is to allow a viper and her puppet to strangle you in your sleep when the time suits her. It is a loss that we will have to take either way not to mention the further discord that can be sowed by the Dowager Empress should she remain alive.

”Yi I assign that task to you and will leave the Empress and her son in your care. If she refuses to do as we ask, remind her what could happen to her and her son. And that I am a relative of the Grand Empress Dowager and so are you. I Li Ru and the rest of you shall move forward and seize the Imperial Palace today.” He says this as if it is going to be done, but it is not done, it's not done.

Politely I raise my objection saying ”I object Father, I wish to be with you when we secure the Imperial Palace and not with the Dowager Empress.”

”You may do so if you can find a replacement for your own task, who will do exactly as I say, not be tempted by the Dowager Empress's promises among other things which you yourself know. Go ahead find me a man you can trust without fail to do as I asked you to do. Is there anyone here who is willing to take up the task of my Son?” Several of them here civil and martial men both take a step forward after my foster Father says that.

But he just waves them all of saying ”None of you have proven yourselves and thus none of you can do it. This is not the task to prove yourselves this is the task you get once you have proven the strength of your character. Which is why this to Yi my son and no one else.”

Li Ru speaks up now saying ”My lord I don't wish to be rude, but most men here have no idea why you trust your son so implicitly. They might think this is unwarranted favouritism of your son because they don't know how... ?”

There is a pause now as Li Ru tries to think of what he is supposed to say next. He seems to settle on ”How strong his strength of character is. They do not know that he might just be the only man under Heaven to never take a bribe, big or small in private or official matters.”

”Yes after we have all done our duties today, we can recount on those deceased fools who thought they could bribe Yi to betray me. He is my son and thus would never betray me.” I want to remind him that he is getting Lu Bu to do the same thing. But I do not speak up partly because it will do no good and partly because I will need my self control to deal with the Dowager Empress when the time comes.

We all bow now and prepare to leave as my Foster Father declares ”Today we shall purge this city completely and restore order! We move now knowing that Heaven is with us and that we are favoured by it!”

”You want me to relinquish the titles I have, to say my son isn't Emperor and that we will be forced out of the Imperial Palace and forced to acknowledge this Prince Xie as the new Emperor. You, you fiend, you villain, you want to rip the future of my son that is rightfully his away from him!” She says this with no doubt every intention of believing her own words.

But I am unaffected, I don't care for either her anger or her tears. I can see now why I was tasked with this, some men might have been moved and think her a good mother. I can see while she does mourn for the fact that her son is no longer Emperor, she is also mourning for herself. All that she and He Jin did to make Emperor Shao into Emperor Shao has come undone. Not only that but the Grand Empress Dowager's relatives are now here and taking their due from her. ”Dowager Empress, I am informing you of this politely, I would like to remind you that my Father is a Dong (董). The ill treatment of the Grand Empress Dowager Dong and your brother's arrest and murder of Dong Zhong has not gone forgotten.”

”You seek to settle that now while the Capital is in chaos and ruin whatever chance there is for stability?” She actually earnestly asked me this which does cause me to sigh deeply and shake my head at her. She no doubt believes that she and her son are the best option for the Han. The sun is setting on the Han and in dying hours twilight hours she thinks she and her son can avert that, there is no averting it Dowager Empress He.

Politely I clear my throat and say ”We are not settling debts and grievances Dowager Empress. We are doing what we can to assert order within the Capital from the chaos. The chaos you and your brother the late General in Chief created from your schemes to remove the Grand Empress Dowager and have your own blood on the throne. But a tower that is built too high can only fall and thus it has happened and now we are here.”

Before I left, father had given me instructions on what to do if she refused to do so. On matters of principle I cannot simply follow through with that order and he knows it. One thing about my foster father that I can say no one can challenge is that he is a filial member of the Dong Clan. Seeing as Dong Zhong and the Grand Empress Dowager were both members of the Dong Clan, I can understand why he is willing to allow his men to do what he wrote. The fact that he wrote it down rather than say it means he didn't want others in the room to know that he had this planned.

The matter of principle is that I do not tolerate the **** of a woman as as a suitable form of punishment. It may be that I am from the modern era originally, but it is not a line I will cross. That is probably why he told it to me, because I will do what I can to convince the Dowager Empress to relinquish her titles and that of her son. Even though my foster Father does treat me like his son, he is also devious and willing to use my morals against me like this.

But my attention is brought back to the Dowager Empress as she tries to stop her tears to say ”You're going to kill me if I don't agree to this aren't you? You villains are going to murder me here right in the Capital along with my son and place that boy on the throne regardless of what I do or say?”

”The depths of villainy do not end with death alone Dowager Empress. You may not know it but there are fates worse than death.” I tell her this because I believe she has the right to know that we are not going to kill her. My father has a worse plan in mind and I am not willing to be part of it so she must be coerced at least into agreement.

To this she snidely asks ”Oh and what will that be then, tell me what is worse than death?”

”There are so many things that I can tell you Dowager Empress, do you really wish for me to tell you them all?” I say this keeping the polite tone I had been using the entire time, but it seems my message got across to her. It may or may not have something to do with the look that I shot her just then or the fact that I am deadly serious that she will wish we killed her if she doesn't comply.

Stepping back now in fear she stumbles and falls over while trying to move away from me. She doesn't hit the ground hard but she does hit it hard enough that she doesn't rise up straight away. She instead just looks at me now and sees me staring down at her. ”Is there, is there no end to this, what type of wicked, twisted and inbred monsters are you?”

I don't wish to hear talk about inbreeding because my parents were certainly not brother and sister, the same can't be said of He Jin who walked right into the Eunuchs ambush. ”Dowager Empress for your sake and your son's I urge you to agree and relinquish your titles and that of your son's. If you do not I will be unable to guarantee your assured safety from now on. That and my Father is not a forgiving man when it comes to someone who has harmed the family.”

”Don't pretend that you care villain, you are wicked and twisted, a vile monster with no heart who seeks to dethrone the Emperor like your father under the pretense of restoring order. Your thrice damned inbred family seeks to grab onto power now and will do and say anything for it. You filthy swine, I bet that you would have your way with me now if you could!” She says this to me now her eyes filled with anger and the tears flowing once more, she hasn't understood the gravity of what I said before and I can't help but sigh in response to this.

Shaking my head I enlighten her to the facts ”It may be indeed as you say Empress Dowager. My father indeed may be seizing power under the pretense of restoring order. But such a feat is only capable by him due to the General in Chief empowering the Warlords in the manner he did. You and your brother too lied, cheated and killed your way to where you are now. So therefore there is nothing you can invoke of calling me or my father those names because they fit you all too nicely. But there is one thing you are utterly wrong about: can you guess what that is?”

She doesn't answer but looks in defiance of what I just said, but I know my next words will as I say ”It's not that I can't have my way with you. In fact I certainly can if I d_e_s_i_r_ed, I just don't care to do so because I despise that sort of thing. That is why nothing as cruel and profane as that has occurred to you Dowager Empress. It is the one thing that stops the men who enter here, mine or another of my father's commanders men from doing that as well.”

I pause and let her take in what I just said and it seems as her eyes widened in realization. Perhaps finally I have gotten through to her and she now throws herself at my feet kowtowing before me begging ”No please, please don't let them do that to me. I'll do it, I'll do what you ask just keep me and my son safe please!”

How revolting to have the Dowager Empress groveling at my feet, it is not something befitting a lady of her station. But then again she may not be Dowager Empress for much longer and well. It was from nothing that same came and it is to nothing that she will go. At least she has the decency to beg for her son's life as well, I couldn't be sure that she would do so after all, there are no limits to which people like her can sink.

To make sure she is now completely enlightened to her predicament I inform her ”Everything that has a beginning inexorably has an end Dowager Empress. Dread it, run from it. Destiny arrives all the same. But you already are aware of this. Why else would my father have been called to the Capital and it burst out in chaos like this before we arrived?”

I leave the suggestion if it was fate or destiny to her to decide, while I don't care for it. I am certain that the Empress Dowager believes in something like that or at least fooled herself into believing it. But getting to business at hand I say ”Your son will relinquish his claim to the Mandate of Heaven and you will relinquish the titles you've taken. That is what we require of you Empress Dowager. So stand up and treat your officer with the respect it is supposed to hold for you will not hold onto it for much longer.”

Interlude

”Are you certain this isn't going to be a waste of time my son? The training routine you

propose is rather, demanding to say the least and savage to say the worst.” Dong Zhuo states to this to me after I presented him with my training program. I got Li Ru's support for it, but even Li Ru said that it was a tad bit too far. Then again, how many armies of antiquity practice as hard or as harshly as this? Well they do drill the men harshley like the myths of Zhang Fei doing so badly his men hated him so much that they killed him for it, or was that one of the actual reasons he died?

None the less I politely bow and say ”Lord Dong, I am certain it will work. The harshness of the training will build character. The saying goes 'hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times'. Best to stimulate the men into a harsh environment to make them stronger.”

There is a pause now from Dong Zhuo who seems to think about what I said. It must be a strange concept to them, because they only drill their men in certain ways. No matter how hard or how often you drill your men, if those drills only encompass a few things then those men will only be versed in those few things. ”First call me father not Lord Dong. two thirds of forces and those under my protection believe you're my legitimate son and the other third are too damn scared to say anything else. But back to the topic at hand, you believe you can turn these men into a fighting force within a year be worthy to take on my own personal forces? That is some boast?”

”Give me the time and the proper resources available to embark on this endeavour and I shall prove it true.” I say this now as I think over just what the differences will be from the men who have a more twenty first century training regime to those who have what antiquity training level regime? Since we still have time and plenty of men, there is no need for me to worry about losing anything, well anything but face and since when do I care about my face.

After another pause as Dong Zhuo takes in what I said, no doubt he is considering if it is worth it again. I don't blame him for having cold feet. This is something new and outlandish and unknown and most people fear or hate what they don't properly understand. Once more he speaks and says ”Then go with my blessing son and do as you see fit. That said do not expect me to reward you for failure. You have one year to get this task done, see that you do my son.”

Don't worry I wouldn't reward me for failure anyway, but I don't say that. Instead I just say ”I will see it done by the end of next year's end. I will make sure that I train the men into being the deadliest weapon on earth.”

”If you are going to reference wisdom, make sure that it is meaningful wisdom my son. Don't quote something that someone may have said at some point. For all I know you may have heard that on the street or at a bazaar or even a Brothel.” He says this to me as if he doesn't understand that I am quoting the fact that men who are trained one how to use their weapon and how to adapt to using other ones are indeed the deadliest weapons on earth.

Ah woe to the uneducated and woe to the ignorant, Dong Zhuo will understand once he sees results. But then again only the most willfully ignorant of fools don't believe once they have solid proof in front of them. That or they are in denial because they want to believe. That said it is not going to be smooth sailing, I'll have to make sure that I can do what the men can do and that is not going to be easier. But while I do ponder if this is worth it, I mean I am basically helping out the Tyrant who is going to hasten the demise of the Han.

He who is going to commit mass and burn the capital of Luoyang for his defeat at the hands of the coalition. A man who in his fifties l_u_s_ts after the young Diaochan which is rather creepy. That said he is the man who has taken me in and the last days of my youth are either going to be with him or are going to be my last days alive. Even if he calls me son I am no fool, one misstep and I am dead. There are so many lies around here it makes me sick, but at least the lie of youth doesn't exist in this world. And I am left to wonder about the purpose of my existence here and all.

I walk now and see the lines of men who have arrayed themselves, quite a few of them and Qiang which means they are not the regular 'Han'. Which is good, because they are hardier folk when compared due to their own lack of luxury.

I have, say what five thousand volunteers. I wonder how many of them will last because now I let them know ”I wish for all of you to know that this Brigade as I am going to call you is an experimental one. I am going to subject you some of the strangest and cruelest training drills you are ever going to experience. Right now you are men of flesh, but once this is over you will be 'Iron Men'. Our lord expects that every man will do his duty.”

”Know that I will be there right beside you every step of the way. The first step is that you are men, not children. You will carry your own armour, you will carry your own weapons. You will carry around 15 days worth of rations with you and you will train, march and drill with this. Today I will be splitting you into your separate squads. Make sure you get to know the men you are with well, because they will eat, drink, train and sleep with you.” I inform them of this before I Fan Chou and Xu Rong who have been assigned to assist me move about to do just that.

While modern military schemes are more complex than say the roman ones, a man has to keep in mind that a squad is say from between seven to fourteen men I think? But a Roman Century only had eighty fighting men due to two out of every ten men being an engineer or support worker for the other Legionaries. The first set of training that I have planned is going to be a fullpack run. Them with all of their kit and one holding the flag leading them at the front. Will be forced to run ten miles like the Rangers from the JSDF.

This will strengthen their muscles and get them used to carrying a heavy load and increase the strength and stamina of the men. Something which I feel is going to be useful in drawn out engagements. A strategy and plan can only work if the troops are capable of pulling it off. Weak troops are a burden not an asset so mass recruitment without adequate training will lead to a disaster worse than my first confession. Well almost worst, there are some scars that cut too deep and that is one of them which I am still unable to get over. Perhaps that is a flaw within my own character or nah it is part of who I am and makes me stronger, when it comes to being alone and losing I am the strongest.

That aside I must also keep in mind that I don't want the men to hate me. To fear someone is different to hating and fearing someone. Because if you hate someone, then you are more likely to raise your arms in rebellion against them. I do believe that Zhang Fei learned this the hard way when his men murdered him and took his head to Sun Quan. Fear is alright but one should make sure that the fear is not overbearing because then hatred will take root. To be respected is ideal but also hard to achieve, regardless of that, the first step on my task to create an elite fighting force begins here!