Three Kingdoms Mythology World.

Chapter 2682 Lin Mu's Confidence in Competing for Alliance Leader
However, in the eyes of Yuan Shao and many other natives, there should be no etiquette towards people from other regions. They looked down on them from the bottom of their hearts.

It's just that Lin Mu is doing well, which makes it impossible for them to do anything. If it were Ji Beiqin, Jiang Chenglong, or others, they would despise, scorn, or even ignore them in a heartbeat!

Jiang Chenglong, Xuan Yuan Changying, and others were well aware of this situation.

Sitting far back, Jiang Chenglong, Xuan Yuan Changying, and others felt extremely relieved to see Lin Mu so assertive in confronting Yuan Shao and the other warlords.

They not only looked down on Lin Mu, but also on them, these extraordinary individuals. Although seats were arranged for them, what difference was there between them and the seats arranged for Lin Mu? They were nothing but humiliating places!

Yuan Shao turned green with anger after being rebuked by Lin Mu.

The other warlords also smiled knowingly upon hearing this. They knew Yuan Shao's true nature, of course, but only Lin Mu dared to speak so openly!
"How dare you humiliate me like this? You're courting death!!!" Yuan Shao directly swung his sword, "My sword is not without its weaknesses," and attacked Lin Mu.

"Clang!~~~" At this moment, a long sword suddenly blocked Yuan Shao's sword, averting a clash of weapons.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw that Cao Cao had used his sword to parry Yuan Shao's sword.

"Mengde, why are you stopping me?" Enraged, Yuan Shao almost disregarded Cao Cao's feelings. However, Yuan Shao still retained a shred of reason; Cao Cao was his friend and a childhood acquaintance, so he had to give him face.

"Benchu, in such a solemn occasion, it is not appropriate to resort to arms and harbor murderous intent. This will allow others to see your willful, irritable, and crazy side, which will not benefit your struggle for the position of leader of the alliance. Lin Mu is an extremely cunning man, and his provocation this time is a scheme against you!" Cao Cao bowed slightly to Yuan Shao without speaking, but secretly transmitted his voice to Yuan Shao.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao was startled, but quickly realized what was happening and looked at the other warlords.

When the other warlords saw that Yuan Shao had been provoked by Lin Mu's few words, a look of disdain appeared on their faces.

"Brother Benchu, on this occasion, our enemy is Dong Zhuo, not you, me, or anyone else. Could you please give me some face and let's keep the peace?" Cao Cao said slowly after bowing.

Although Cao Cao was not the first to issue a proclamation against Dong Zhuo, he did issue one, and he was also the first to propose that the rebel army kill Dong Zhuo.

Coupled with his previous reputation for assassinating Dong Zhuo, and the unusual phenomenon of purple aura filling the sky, many people gave Cao Cao face.

"Hmph! I'm only letting this go today because of you, Cao Mengde, otherwise I would have made sure your blood was spilled!" Yuan Shao sheathed his sword and snorted coldly.

Lin Mu saw Yuan Shao suddenly calm down, his eyes twitched slightly, and then he looked at Cao Cao meaningfully.

Cao Mengde was indeed quite perceptive; he saw through his intentions.

Currently, given Yuan Shao's resources and connections, becoming the leader of the alliance is practically a piece of cake for him. If he wants to compete, he must find another way.

One way is to enrage him, defeat him, and humiliate him.

He was originally prepared to fight, to use the Dragon God Spear skill to defeat Yuan Shao, and then to stomp on his face and humiliate him.

If the other warlords still support Yuan Shao as the leader of the alliance, then his kick will forever feel like stepping on their faces!
This plan was not devised by Guo Jia or Xi Zhicai, but by Xun You.

Unfortunately... it was ruined by Cao Cao...

Cao Cao gave Lin Mu a deep look, then silently turned around and returned to his seat.

As for Yuan Shao and Qiao Mao, they exchanged a glance, and Qiao Mao tactfully stepped down, leaving Yuan Shao standing there.

After that, Yuan Shao sat down in the seat next to Lin Mu.

There were two first-place positions, contested by Lin Mu and Yuan Shao, who were locked in a fierce rivalry.

Of course, Qiao Mao couldn't sit in the seat that had been arranged for Lin Mu, so the attendants quickly added a seat next to Yuan Shao.

During this process, Lin Mu sent a message to Ji Beiqin, and then Ji Beiqin eagerly moved the seat that was originally reserved for Lin Mu to the seat next to Lin Mu.

This move caused many powerful figures to twitch their faces. A series of subtle actions, each carrying a deeper meaning.

As Lin Mu and Yuan Shao took their seats, everyone else found their places and sat down, and the entire venue began to quiet down.

As everyone knows, the truly exciting part is about to begin!
"Gentlemen, although the proclamation was issued by Yuan Shao and Qiao Yuanwei, and it was Cao Mengde who first called on the righteous army to fight against Dong Zhuo, it was everyone's response, their spending of their family fortune to recruit righteous soldiers, and their journey through wind and rain despite fatigue that truly brought about this united front against Dong Zhuo."

Before Yuan Shao could speak, Lin Mu took the initiative and spoke.

"Last time in Luoyang, the capital, I feigned compliance with Dong Zhuo, but my true intention was to enter the palace to rescue the young Emperor Liu Bian and Empress Dowager He. I knew that the existence of the young Emperor Liu Bian would threaten Dong Zhuo's strategy, so I took the risk. Unfortunately, the operation failed. Empress Dowager He and the young Emperor Liu Bian were killed by that fake national guardian beast, the Tongtian Black Emperor Dragon, and then they pinned the blame on me," Lin Mu said slowly and forcefully.

Lin Mu's voice echoed throughout the entire venue.

The other players stared wide-eyed upon hearing Lin Mu's description. It turned out Lin Mu had done something quite extraordinary in Luoyang—rescuing Empress Dowager He, Liu Bian—a truly epic mission… unfortunately, it failed.

Upon hearing Lin Mu's words, some of the other warlords showed anger on their faces. Dong Zhuo's evil deeds were too numerous to recount!
He dares to slaughter even the Empress Dowager and the Emperor at will, what wouldn't he dare to do? Once things stabilize, he will definitely kill the current Emperor Liu Xie!
Lin Mu openly told this lie, not afraid that Dong Zhuo and Li Ru would expose it.

Emperor Shao Liu Bian and Empress Dowager He were indeed not dead, but were these things important to the warlords who had already raised an army? No... they just needed an excuse.

If one truly wanted to restore the Han Dynasty or preserve Emperor Liu Xie, they could have installed another emperor. For example, Yuan Shao wanted Liu Yu to be emperor, but Liu Yu refused. As long as the installation of another emperor was successful, Dong Zhuo would never have killed Liu Xie unless he dealt with the new emperor.

However, they didn't even try. Even Yuan Shao, who did try, had ulterior motives, and Liu Yu was not willing to fall for it!

"Although my mission has failed, I am irreconcilably opposed to Dong Zhuo. This time, I will surely take his head to offer as a sacrifice to Empress Dowager He and the young emperor!" Lin Mu said passionately.

"Tsk tsk, that sounds nice. I heard that you only brought 600,000 troops with you this time, which is only one-tenth of Yuan Shao's strength." Before anyone else could respond, a sinister voice suddenly rang out.

It was Yuan Shu's voice...

"Even I, the general, have brought three million elite troops. How dare you, with your mere six hundred thousand, speak so arrogantly here!" Yuan Shu sneered.

"It's not about the quantity of soldiers, but their quality. With a mere 600,000 men, I can rout your 3 million!" Lin Mu said arrogantly, tilting his head back and looking down at Yuan Shu.

"Hehehe... How about we have a battle then?" Yuan Shu sneered.

"I'm available anytime!" Lin Mu said calmly.

"Please calm down, everyone," Qiao Mao said, stepping forward to ease the tension.

"Gentlemen, every day Dong Zhuo lives, he will cause the people of the world to suffer. Time is of the essence, so let's not waste any more words."

"The righteous army has gathered together with the aim of overthrowing Dong Zhuo. We have raised an army in the name of righteousness, so we should establish a leader of the alliance and let everyone obey his orders. What do you think?" Tao Qian, the governor of Xuzhou, stood up and said.

Tao Qian directly steered the conversation to the ultimate goal of establishing an alliance leader, causing Lin Mu to frown slightly.

He hadn't finished his performance yet... He hadn't played any of his trump cards. It seemed the other players had sensed something, otherwise he wouldn't have continued.

"Since this righteous army was gathered at Mengde's invitation, why don't we..." Gongsun Zan, who had been watching the show without saying a word, suddenly suggested that Cao Cao be the leader of the alliance.

"No! I am of meager virtue and limited ability, and am not fit for such a great responsibility." Cao Cao directly interrupted Gongsun Zan's suggestion.

"I recommend Yuan Shao, the Prefect of Bohai and Marquis of Yingxiang, as the leader of the alliance!"

"The Yuan family has produced four generations of high-ranking officials, many of whom are former officials. They are also descendants of famous generals. The position of leader of the alliance should belong to Yuan Shao!" Cao Cao directly recommended Yuan Shao.

Even without Lin Mu, he would have strongly recommended Yuan Shao as the leader of the alliance, but with Lin Mu present, he recommended Yuan Shao even more fervently. Clearly, he didn't want Lin Mu to be the leader of the alliance either.

Upon hearing Cao Cao's flattery and strong recommendation, Yuan Shao initially wanted to be polite, but upon seeing Lin Mu beside him, he swallowed his words of feigned retreat.

“I also agree with Brother Mengde’s recommendation. Yuan Shao rebuked Dong Zhuo in the court, threatened him with his sword, and left calmly. His courage is extraordinary! I admire him greatly! He should be the leader of the alliance!” Sun Jian said with great emphasis.

After that, other warlords who were close to Yuan Shao also began to stand up to support him, which immediately boosted the morale and atmosphere.

"This general also agrees with Yuan Shao as the leader of the alliance!" Yuan Shu clenched his fist secretly, a helpless look on his face.

Although he also wanted to be the leader of the alliance and didn't want Yuan Shao to steal the limelight, he didn't want to see Lin Mu become the leader of the alliance even more.

"Benchu, everyone supports you, and it is the will of the people to make you the leader of the alliance. So don't refuse!" Cao Cao wanted to make a definitive statement directly.

However, at this moment a voice rang out: "Please, everyone, don't rush."

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Lin Mu slowly stand up from his seat, holding two scrolls and a strange little sword in his hand.

"Gentlemen, these are the [Grand Commandant's Order], the [Emperor's Art Scroll], and the [Sword of Restoration]! The [Grand Commandant's Order] and the [Emperor's Art Scroll] bear the seal of the Imperial Seal, personally entrusted to this general by the late Emperor Xiaoling, as if it were his dying wish. The late Emperor Xiaoling repeatedly instructed me to use them when the Han court is in trouble, to command the Han army, and to save the Han Dynasty from its dire straits." Lin Mu did not wait any longer and directly used his trump cards.

"Now Dong Zhuo is dominating the capital, wreaking havoc on the court, committing debauchery in the palace, and plunging the people into misery. His crimes are unforgivable. This is the time of crisis for the Han court, which is why I, the general, bring this up."

"Governor Tao is right. The righteous army was led by you gentlemen. We raised an army in the name of righteousness, so we should establish a leader. I am not talented, but I have the last decree of the late Emperor Xiaoling. I should lead the entire Han army as the leader and kill the traitor Dong Zhuo!" Lin Mu said with righteous indignation.

Compared to Cao Cao and Gongsun Zan's strong recommendation, Lin Mu's reasons were a thousand times better and more legitimate!
Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, Cao Cao, Gongsun Zan, and others were all shocked and stared intently at the three items in Lin Mu's hands.

At this moment, they finally understood Lin Mu's position in the heart of the late Emperor Xiaoling, Liu Hong.

The fact that Liu Hong dared to give Lin Mu these three items definitely indicated that he intended to entrust his son to him. Liu Hong may have already sensed that his fate was nearing its end and had made arrangements long ago.

Lin Mu chose this moment to bring it up, rather than earlier or later, his intention was very clear: he was determined to become the leader of the alliance!
"Lin Mu, do you know what crime it is to forge an imperial edict? You actually forged the late emperor's will!!" Yuan Shu stood up and questioned him directly. No, he didn't even need to verify anything before refuting him.

However, the prestige of the Han court had already been trampled upon by Dong Zhuo, and the various warlords no longer held it in the same deep respect.

In other words, they were somewhat reluctant to acknowledge the three items in Lin Mu's hands!
"Whether it's true or not, you know in your hearts. If you acknowledge it, then I, the general, will be the leader of the alliance. If you don't acknowledge it, then..." Lin Mu said meaningfully.

The various lords, each harboring their own ulterior motives, were all jolted upon hearing this. Lin Mu's meaning was actually quite clear...

(End of this chapter)