350 336. Start Of Liu Bei's Plan

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Leveraging all of their influence and persuasive abilities, they began to sway the noble clans under their sway, advocating for Liu Bei as the best candidate to lead Jing Province out of the chaos, Liu Bei already received Liu Qi's support and approval. This managed to sway many of the noble clans under the Kuai Clan, cementing Liu Bei's power over Xiangyang.

Liu Bei's continuous growth influence in Xiangyang over the Noble Clans went unnoticed by both Liu Biao and Cai Mao, who were scrambling to exert Liu Biao's authority over his court and Xiangyang.

Their unawareness helped Ju Shou and Wang Xiu who were tasked by Kuai Liang and Kuai Yue to sway the military personnel at Xiangyang, the commanders that don't support Cai Mao and the Cai Clan to their side.

Kuai Liang and Kuai Yue calculated that they needed soldiers to control Xiangyang, and the men that Liu Bei brought alongside him weren't enough to at least control each of Xiangyang's gates.

They already asked Liu Bei to call for 10,000 of his men from Xinye, but such a large movement could attract the attention of Liu Qi and Liu Pan who still didn't know about the military coup they would be doing, so it was done in a small batch and needed time for them to regroup and arrive at Xiangyang.

So that's why Ju Shou and Wang Xiu were tasked by them to sway the military commanders in Xiangyang, it's not that they look down upon the two of them and don't let them sway the noble clans, but the Noble Clans in Xiangyang will be much easier to be swayed by them personally.

So on the cover of the night, Ju Shou and Wang Xiu visited several military commanders in a row, swaying them to join Liu Bei's cause, at first the military commanders refused but after knowing that the rumors about Liu Qi's unjust disposal as Liu Biao's heir was true, they immediately agreed to join Liu Bei's cause.

This bolstered Liu Bei's chances of overthrowing Liu Biao, and the next day after Ju Shou and Wang Xiu's successful ploy, Liu Biao hold his court meeting to calm the nobles of Xiangyang down after managing to gather in his opinion enough support to ensure the court will go without any problem.

Liu Bei was invited to join the court as the defender of Xinye, an attempt from Liu Biao and Cai Mao to humiliate Liu Bei by implying that Liu Bei was just a foreign defender, and without any official title whatsoever.

Of course when Liu Bei received the invitation he was angry inside his heart, but managed to hide it from his advisors and acted like not know the meaning behind the invitation and accepted the invitation.

Ju Shou and Wang Xiu of course offended by Lou Biao and Cai Mao's actions, but before they could protest against it Kuai Liang and Kuai Yue managed to calm them down, saying that it was a maneuver done by Liu Biao and Cai Mao many times in the past.

They continue to elaborate by saying that it was first started by Cai Mao, who did this to incite his political enemies to be enraged and do something stupid, whereas then he persuaded Liu Buao to punish his enemies.

From there, Liu Biao thought that this was a great move to be used to clean up any officials and noble clans that opposed him, and many fell to their scheme, but from how they saw it, their lord either didn't know the meaning behind the invitation or managed to keep himself calm.

At Xiangyang Governor's Castle, Liu Biao held the court in the court hall where the officials and noble clans that were invited could be seen to separate into two factions, on the left were the ones who supported Liu Biao under Cai Mao and Cai Clan leadership.

On the right side, it was Liu Qi Supporters that was under the leadership of the Kuai Clan and supported by Liu Bei who arrived alongside his retainer, Liu Bei still warmly greeted Liu Biao calling him elder brother but was ignored by Liu Biao.

This caused Liu Qi's supporters but actually, Liu Bei's supporters to be angered by Liu Biao's demeanor, thinking that it wasn't appropriate for a lord to act like that and was pleased that Liu Bei whom they supported had a much better attitude and personality.

Liu Biao: "Since everyone has arrived, today court can be started! First I wanted to address the rumors that have circulated and caused some commotion, I have indeed disposed of Liu Qi as my heir and have Liu Cong replace him."

Kuai Liang: "Why My Lord? We need to know the reason and even if the reason was valid why didn't you hold a court to at least inform us of the matter?"

Cai Mao: "Prosposterous! Why does My Lord need to address the matter of his own successor with all of you?! It was his own decision to make and doesn't need any consent from all of you!"

Kuai Yue: "Cai Mao shut your mouth! You already caused us many losses in your retreat against the Sun Clan! You don't have any right to speak whatsoever and to reply to your words, we only want to be informed as the matter of My Lord's successor is not a small matter and could impact the future of Lord Liu Biao's force!"

Liu Biao: "Okay both of you calm down! Kuai Liang and Kuai Yue to answer the question both of you represented for many of my subjects, the reason is that Liu Qi was unfit to become my heir any longer due to his unfilial personality and his incompetence as he can't shoulder the responsibility as my heir."

Liu Bei: "I'm sorry to intrude Brother Liu Biao, but this reason wasn't enough to dispose of nephew Liu Qi unjustly, at least you need to elaborate even further than just saying those reasons."

Liu Biao: "Liu Bei! My patience was already thin enough due to your previous action! Now you are just pushing the line! If it's not for you, there would be no chaos in Xiangyang!"

Liu Bei's sudden words caught Liu Biao off guard at first, but then he became very angry because all of this problem was due to Liu Bei, and as he couldn't hold himself back he unloaded all of his frustration on him.

This surprised everyone in the room, especially the noble clans and officials who supported Liu Biao and Cai Mao after being lobbied by them, they never expected to see Liu Biao who was always calm be very angry like this.

Liu Bei, though taken aback by the intensity of Liu Biao's anger, remained composed, understanding the implications of his calculated move. He had anticipated this reaction and knew that Liu Biao's unbridled frustration would serve to amplify the discontent simmering within the noble clans.

Silence fell over the room as Liu Biao's tirade continued, his words resonating with a raw emotion that reverberated off the walls of the Governor's Castle.

As Liu Biao's anger escalated, Cai Mao desperately attempted to intervene, knowing that allowing Liu Biao's frustration to spiral out of control would only undermine their authority further. However, his efforts to calm Liu Biao were swiftly thwarted by the cunning maneuvering of Kuai Liang and Kuai Yue.

Seizing the opportunity presented by Liu Biao's outburst, the Kuai brothers strategically aligned themselves with Liu Bei's stance, further stoking Liu Biao's ire. They urged him to provide clarification on his decision, effectively undermining his authority in the eyes of the gathered officials and noble clans.

Liu Biao's rage intensified as he felt betrayed by the Kuai brothers' apparent disloyalty, accusing them of siding with an outsider over their own lord. His thunderous voice reverberated through the hall, punctuating the growing tension.

As tensions reached a boiling point in the court, Liu Biao's rash actions alienated many of his staunch supporters among the officials and noble clans. Some even voiced their support for Kuai Liang and Kuai Yue, echoing their sentiments and questioning Liu Biao's decisions.

Cai Mao, realizing the precariousness of the situation, attempted to assert his authority as the marshal of Liu Biao's army in a bid to quell the unrest. However, his heavy-handed approach only served to further exacerbate the discontentment brewing within the court.

The blatant display of authority by Cai Mao was perceived as a threat by several officials and noble clans, who began to reconsider their allegiance. With the growing perception that Liu Biao's leadership was faltering and Cai Mao's actions were exacerbating the turmoil, the balance of power within Xiangyang's court teetered on the brink of collapse.

Liu Biao who manages to calm down realizes the situation he has caused. As Liu Biao attempted to regain control of his court, chaos erupted beyond the walls of the Governor's Castle.

The military commanders aligned with Liu Bei made a bold move to seize control of Xiangyang's Gate by force, catching the forces loyal to Liu Biao off guard.

The news of the rebellion outside sent shockwaves through the court after a guard entered the court reporting the situation, silencing the chaotic hall as everyone grappled with the sudden turn of events.

Liu Biao's attempts to quell the unrest within his court were now overshadowed by the threat of rebellion at the city gates.

In the midst of the turmoil, Liu Bei maintained a composed demeanor, his smirk betraying a sense of satisfaction as his carefully laid plans created by his advisors began to unfold.

As Cai Mao heard the news of the rebellion, he swiftly recognized it as a meticulously orchestrated plot designed to overthrow Liu Biao's rule. In his mind, there was only one individual with the motive and cunning to orchestrate such a scheme which was Liu Bei.

Disregarding the chaos erupting within the court, Cai Mao sprang into action, rallying his guards to escort Liu Biao to safety at his residence, to protect Lady Cai and Liu Cong, where they also could think of their next move in a safer place.

Their departure prompted a split among Liu Biao's supporters, with some of the ardent loyalists following Cai Mao and Liu Biao, while others, sensing the tide turning, gravitated toward Liu Bei's camp.

Amidst the confusion, Liu Bei found himself approached by Liu Biao's former supporters, beseeching his aid in quelling the rebellion. Little did they know, this was all part of Liu Bei's grand strategy, meticulously crafted by his trusted advisors Kuai Liang, Kuai Yue, Ju Shou, and Wang Xiu as the pieces of his plan fell into place.

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Name: Lie Fan

Title: Three Heroes Who Defeat Lu Bu

Age: 29 (196 AD)

Level: 16

Next Level: 462,000

Renown: 825

Cultivation: Yin Yang Separation (level 9)

SP: 1,821,700

ATTRIBUTE POINTS

STR: 936 (+20)

VIT: 598 (+20)

AGI: 583 (+10)

INT: 587

CHR: 96

WIS: 509

WILL: 397

ATR Points: 0