On the flagstone streets of Pingyuan County, two undercurrents are quietly converging.
Chen Feng, heir to the bloodline that once replaced the Tian clan of Qi, carries a System blueprint for “the Chen clan replacing the Han” hidden up his sleeve. He gazes at Liu Bei’s broad-backed figure, his eyes reflecting the same patience his ancestor used to seize another’s throne: first, sweep the realm beneath the name of the imperial uncle, then, just as Tian He replaced Qi and Wang Mang usurped the Han, replace the Liu dynasty with the Chen family’s empire.
In a nearby tavern, Mi Zhu strokes his beard, the cursor of the Lü clan System flickering in his palm. A descendant of Lü Buwei, he lives by his ancestor’s maxim that “rare goods are worth stockpiling.” Funding Liu Bei is merely an investment. Once the realm is unified, he intends to seize control of the imperial throne for the Lü clan, just as his ancestor manipulated the Qin rulers and Lü Zheng influenced the Han court.
The two men offer Liu Bei their support at the same time, their smiles warm and affable. But when their eyes meet, Chen Feng’s Tian clan totem and Mi Zhu’s Lü clan jade token are already clashing in secret. One intends to replace the dynasty outright; the other wants to control everything from behind the scenes. A game with Liu Bei as its board was destined to begin the moment they met...
