335. Prelude To Liu Bei's Rise In Jing Province

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Standing tall upon the platform, Sun Ce turned to face the assembled crowd, his expression composed yet resolute, ready to embark on the ceremonial proceedings that would mark a significant moment in the journey of his life. Zhang Zhao seeing this proceeded to say for Sun Ce to bow to the heavens, which Sun Ce did, and at this time a warm light passed through the windows and cast a warm light on Sun Ce causing everyone in the hall to admire him.

The warm light causes the atmosphere in the room to be more ethereal and prestigious, Lie Fan seeing this realizes that the heavens supported Sun Ce's ascension as the new lord of the Sun Clan.

This means that Sun Ce could become a contender for China's Hegemony if Sun Ce truly has that ambition, Lie Fan needs to observe does he has the ambition and drive to achieve his ambition, to contemplate if the Sun Clan will become opposition in the future.

Sun Ce in the original timeline ambition was to create a secure and vast domain for the Sun Clan to live in peace, and also avenge the death of his father Sun Jian in the hands of Liu Biao and Huang Zu.

Now in Lie Fan's timeline, the situation is different, Sun Jian is still alive albeit losing one of his legs causing him to step down and have Sun Ce replace him, so the ambition was unknown for now.

After seeing SunnCe bowed toward heaven, Zhang Zhao next said for Sun Ce to light the incense and pray twists the heaven, which Sun Ce did, and lastly, Zhang Zhao said for Sun Ce to take a seat at the seat of Sun Clan Lordship.

When Sun Ce takes his seat, everyone in the hall lets out a cheer to celebrate the new lord of the Sun Clan, and with that, the Ceremony ended without any complications or problems.

After the ceremony finished, it was continued with a large feast that encompassed the entire capital of the Sun Clan, where the commoners were given delicacies to feast on the square of the town, and the guests and people invited by the Sun Clan enjoyed the feast at the courtyard of the Govenor's Castle.

The Courtyard was full of people from all kinds of high backgrounds, with the lowest being a big landlord or merchant to the highest being a warlord and only Lie Fan held that title, so he also became one of the main points of the banquet alongside Sun Ce.

Many of the merchants who wanted to enter the market at Lie Fan's domain flocked around Lie Fan, causing him to be irritated but fortunately, Sun Ce saw this and managed to relieve him from the siege of these merchants.

Lie Fan: "Thank You for saving me from those merchants Sun Ce, can't they choose a better time for flocking to me looking for interest, I was a bit irritated that they did this on the day of your ceremony."

Sun Ce: "Haha It's not a problem Lord Lie Fan, actually I can understand these merchants why flock to you at this time because during your stay here you have rejected all invitations that come to you and decided any people to see you except for us from the Sun Clan."

Lie Fan: "Of Course, I do so because I think of this as a holiday and a personal visit. I separate business and private matters very strictly, so they should have gone to Wenhe, Sun Qian, or Chen Qun if they wanted a chance or anything to enter the market at my domain."

Sun Ce: "Speaking of the market at your domain Lord Lie Fan, do you think we could sign a trade treaty between our two forces? To increase trade and boost our economies, I'm sure that each of our own sides has something to benefit from this treaty."

Lie Fan: "Hmm, an interesting proposal Sun Ce. But let's talk about this another time, right now today's focus should be on you who have become the new lord of the Sun Clan! Come, let me endorse you in front of these big-time merchants and scholars so that they would respect you, knowing that other Warlords acknowledge you."

Sun Ce gave a smile of gratitude for what Lie Fan had just said, and together the two of them circled around the courtyard greeting everyone together.

As Sun Ce and Lie Fan circled the courtyard, greeting everyone with warmth and humility, a subtle shift began to take place among the discontent nobles, scholars, and merchants who had initially opposed Sun Ce's early ascension as the Lord of the Sun Clan.

Witnessing Sun Ce's gracious demeanor and his harmonious interaction with Lie Fan, their skepticism began to wane. The sight of the two esteemed figures walking side by side, extending gestures of goodwill to all present, left a positive impression that gradually softened their stance.

Slowly but surely, doubts gave way to admiration as they recognized Sun Ce's sincerity and leadership potential. The unity displayed between Sun Ce and Lie Fan cast a reassuring light on the future of the Sun Clan, prompting even the most reluctant detractors to reconsider their opposition and lend their support to Sun Ce's ascension as the new Lord of the Sun Clan.

While the Sun Clan's Capital was filled with festivities, far away to the northwest of their location in Jing Province, Xiangyang Liu Biao's Capital was full of turmoil for the past two months.

As turmoil gripped Xiangyang in the aftermath of their recent defeats against the Sun Clan, tensions simmered within the court of Liu Biao. The loss of three counties and the Jiangxia Commandery, along with the surrender of Huang Zu and significant naval losses, had dealt a severe blow to Liu Biao's authority.

Despite the strengthened influence of the Cai Clan following these setbacks which somewhat increased Liu Biao's power in his court, opposition within the court persisted, with factions emerging to challenge Cai Mao and his clan's hold on power.

While the Kuai Clan had ceased direct opposition to the Cai Clan, their neutrality did little to ease tensions, as they remained on the sidelines, unwilling to offer support.

This reluctance only served to embolden other clans to voice their discontent and intensify their opposition to the Cai Clan's rule, further destabilizing the political landscape of Xiangyang.

Amidst the turbulent political landscape of Xiangyang, Liu Bei and his advisors seized the opportunity to recruit numerous civil and military officials to their cause.

With each new supporter, Liu Bei's influence expanded, extending even to the surrounding counties and bolstering his chances of challenging Liu Biao's rule for Jing Province.

Though Cai Mao and Liu Biao were aware of these movements, they lacked concrete evidence to act upon. Liu Bei's continued visits to Liu Biao's court served as a guise, deceiving them into believing that his intentions were benign.

Despite Liu Biao's lingering paranoia, his inability to substantiate his suspicions ultimately led him to dismiss them as baseless, allowing Liu Bei's underground activities to continue unabated.

It was during one of Liu Bei's visits that Liu Bei began to ask Liu Biao about Liu Qi's sudden dismissal as his heir, which wasn't in line with Confucian teachings due to the lack of reason as to why Liu Qi was dismissed.

Liu Bei's inquiry about Liu Qi's sudden dismissal as heir caught Liu Biao off guard, stirring feelings of surprise and suspicion. Wondering how Liu Bei had become privy to such confidential information, Liu Biao grew wary, questioning whether there was a leak within his inner circle or if Liu Bei was conducting clandestine investigations.

Fearing the possibility of an information leak or covert investigation by Liu Bei, Liu Biao's anger flared. He rebuked Liu Bei for meddling in the internal affairs of his family and government, adamant in his stance to maintain control over such sensitive matters.

Liu Bei acted innocent and humbly said that it wasn't his intention to meddle in Liu Biao's internal Family and government affairs, apologizing to Liu Biao as well for offending him.

After apologizing, Liu Bei was still adamant about knowing the reason for why the sudden changes, saying that in his mind Liu Qi was a much better choice than Liu Cong, and this only caused Liu Biao who calm down to be angered once again.

Liu Biao's roar was heard throughout the hall, where he said that Liu Qi didn't deserve to become his heir due to his unfilial personality and that he wasn't as smart as Liu Cong.

As Liu Biao's words reverberated throughout the hall, a victorious smirk played across Liu Bei's lips, satisfied that his purpose had been achieved.

The proclamation made by Liu Biao was not only heard within the confines of the Governor's Castle but also spread like wildfire, quickly reaching the ears of the guards, servants, and maids of the Castle who passed the news to the outside.

Word of Liu Qi's dismissal and Liu Cong's ascension as heir began to circulate throughout Xiangyang, igniting a storm of anger and discontent among the noble clans who had supported Liu Qi.

They were quick to point fingers at the Cai Clan, attributing the sudden change in succession to their influence over Liu Biao, and some even said that Liu Biao married a vixen from the Cai Clan, which caused him to be controlled by the Cai Clan.

The atmosphere in Xiangyang grew tense as factions began to form, the noble clans who supported Liu Qi gathered under the Kuai Clan who had waited for Liu Bei's plan to bore fruition and launched a massive protest against Liu Biao over his decision.

Cai Mao and the Cai Clan were angered by the sudden movement of the Kuai Clan, who had managed to garner the support of more than half of the noble clans in Xiangyang, who played vital roles in Liu Biao's government and economy.

As tensions escalated in Xiangyang, Cai Mao and the Cai Clan scrambled to salvage what remained of their influence and support among the noble clans. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, they sought to rally those who still stood by Liu Biao, urging them to reaffirm their loyalty and support for the ruling lord.

Meanwhile, Liu Biao grappled with the repercussions of his outburst and the subsequent unrest sparked by the Kuai Clan's protest. He realized the precarious position he now found himself in and understood the urgent need to mend the fractured relationships with the noble clans who had once been his staunch supporters.

Unbeknownst to both Liu Biao and Cai Mao, Liu Bei's newfound advisors, Kuai Liang, and Kuai Yue, were quietly working behind the scenes to undermine whatever action they were doing.

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, and 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.

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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