"Shang Yunmiao is fine. I taught her how to play Three Kingdoms Kill before."
Since the eldest brother had said so, Shang Yunmiao, as the younger brother, naturally nodded in agreement.
Chen Yuan then turned his expectant gaze to Hao Meng and Qin Xiaoxiao.
Although both of them were women, Chen Yuan was pleasantly surprised to find that they both possessed the potential to restore the Han Dynasty. Qin Xiaoxiao had played the game on the computer when she was a child, and Hao Meng had also watched the boys in her class play a few rounds when she was in junior high school, so she roughly understood the rules.
"If that's the case, then there's no problem." Chen Yuan was overjoyed and finalized the plan to play the Three Kingdoms Kill card game.
To increase the fun of the game, and also to comfort himself that he wasn't just thinking about playing, Chen Yuan picked and chose from the general cards and finally found a group of characters with extremely complex skills. At first glance, they didn't even make people want to read them.
Soon, with the distribution of cards, everyone's identity cards were the first to be released.
The person who obtained the identity of "Lord" was Shang Yunmiao. When her identity card was revealed, Chen Bing noticed that Du Wendi and Chen Yuan smiled imperceptibly.
It seems highly likely that the two of them are "traitors" and don't take Shang Yunmiao seriously at all.
Alright, alright, is this how you play it? My girl must be protected by me. Heed my call, [Loyal Subject]!
With a quick flip of the identity card, Chen Bing saw the familiar words: "Traitor".
Fine, only I can handle my girl. Having changed her goal, Chen Bing's fighting spirit was rekindled.
After the identities and health bars were dealt, it was time to deal with the general cards. With Chen Yuan's swift movements, everyone took their own general card.
What... is this thing?
Even with Chen Bing's extensive knowledge, he couldn't figure out the origins of the characters in his hands, only that their skills were quite flashy.
Fortunately, apart from Chen Yuan, most people present were also reviewing the questions, which allowed Chen Bing to calm down and read them slowly.
After a few minutes, everyone present had finally seen through the characters' skills and selected a character they were satisfied with.
But that wasn't all; everyone had to take turns looking at and memorizing other players' character cards and skills. After all that, the game could finally begin.
Playing cards can seem boring, but if we were to describe it in a more abstract way, it would be something like this:
"My lord, I am incompetent and could not stop those two treacherous officials." Qin Xiaoxiao clasped her hands together, knelt on one knee, and said apologetically to Shang Yunmiao in front of her.
Upon hearing this, Shang Yunmiao stood up from her seat, her face filled with panic. She thought to herself, "These two traitors don't even bother with the so-called 'purging the emperor's inner circle.' Is my governance really that bad? Is Heaven truly going to destroy my Han Dynasty?"
Just when she was at her wit's end, a tall figure suddenly popped into Shang Yunmiao's mind.
"Quickly, go and invite General Chen Bing to quell the rebellion."
"My lord, you mustn't!" Qin Xiaoxiao vehemently objected as soon as Shang Yunmiao finished speaking. "My lord, although Chen Bing is the bravest man in the army, he is a fickle and treacherous villain! We must not negotiate with a tiger for its skin, otherwise there will surely be trouble later. Does my lord intend to do what He Jin did back then, recruiting Dong Zhuo to the capital?"
"Now that things have come to this, what other way is there? General Qin, you have suffered defeat after defeat, but you have taken a lot of benefits from me and your army is growing stronger every day. How come you can't even hold the enemy outside the country's borders? Are you deliberately playing with the enemy, letting them fight with me like the snipe and the clam, so that you can reap the benefits?"
"My lord doubts me!?" Qin Xiaoxiao looked grief-stricken, but in the end she didn't defend herself. She just bowed forlornly and then stood aside.
Just then, a hearty laugh came from outside the hall, and soon the owner of the laugh appeared there, looking very proud and confident.
"I ask if Your Majesty is troubled? I am only slightly versed in military strategy and wish to relieve Your Majesty's worries."
Who else could be standing here and saying these words but our General Chen Bing?
Upon seeing his arrival, Shang Yunmiao could not hide her joy and said repeatedly, "General, you have come at the right time! I will immediately use my authority to provide you with additional troops to support you."
"Sigh!" Chen Bing waved his hand, saying with great pride, "It's just soldiers and provisions, no need for the lord to worry about it."
"What does the general intend to do?"
"I have my own source of food!"
"General, you mustn't!"
Before the words were even finished, General Qin Xiaoxiao's head had already fallen to the ground, personally beheaded by Chen Bing.
Before Shang Yunmiao could recover from her shock, Chen Bing clasped his hands and said, "Please allow me, Your Majesty, to report that although I have lived far away in Yan for ten years, I have never forgotten the grace of the Han Dynasty. Since hearing that Du and Chen have raised an army and the country is about to fall into chaos, I have not thought for a single day about restoring the Han Dynasty."
For ten years, I have been diligently preparing for war, waiting for the day when I can bring peace to the land for my lord.
Upon hearing this, Shang Yunmiao gave a bitter smile, looking at Qin Xiaoxiao's corpse and saying, "General Qin, although your army was at a disadvantage, but..."
"Please allow me to report that over the past ten years, I have painstakingly gathered a great deal of intelligence on the rebels, which is sufficient to prove that this General Qin is indeed a traitor!"
As she spoke, Chen Bing presented Shang Yunmiao with her evidence.
"It's not just these letters secretly communicating with the bandit leader; my lord can find out by searching the tokens on this bandit's body."
Having read the letter and already largely believed it, Shang Yunmiao ordered a body search, and sure enough, they found a traitor's warrant on Qin Xiaoxiao's person.
"My lord, please rest assured. I have already ordered the Qin rebels to take over their troops. After some reorganization, we will be able to quell the rebellion in no time."
All of this happened so fast that by the time Shang Yunmiao reacted and looked at Chen Bing, she remained silent for a long time before finally managing to utter, "General, you are truly a pillar of our great Han Dynasty!"
"I will not fail you in your mission!" Chen Bing clasped his hands in a fist salute once more and withdrew, accompanied by the hearty laughter he had just brought.
A few days later, both Du and Chen were beheaded, and Chen Bing returned in triumph.
The capital was bustling with activity, the streets lined with citizens welcoming General Chen Bing, and the whole country was immersed in the joy of suppressing the rebellion. Only one person was depressed.
Despite the lively commotion around her, Shang Yunmiao, alone in her room, couldn't feel happy.
The war that belonged to the nation has ended, but the war that belonged to her has just begun.
In the early days of a nation's stability, internal strife is inevitable. But whom should she trust? General Chen, currently enjoying immense prestige? Or General Hao, quietly contributing to the war effort?
She thought to herself that perhaps she couldn't trust anyone but herself.
At the celebration banquet prepared for Chen Bing that day, Shang Yunmiao first glanced at General Hao, who was silently drinking beside her, and then at General Chen, who was laughing heartily.
After a few rounds of drinks, just as Shang Yunmiao was pondering her next move, Chen Bing came directly to her with a wine glass in hand.
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