Three Kingdoms: The Guan Family's Rebellious Son, Long Blessing Jing Xiang

When Zhuge Liang entered Luoyang, the city was decorated with lights and colorful lanterns.

He was confused at first, but the clerk who was accompanying him told him in detail what had happened during those days.

It is precisely because of this...

Zhuge Liang just learned that the emperor was in Jingzhou.

There are rumors that the emperor is deliberately avoiding Liu Bei, using the excuse of going on tour to stay in Jingzhou and not come back. For this reason, Liu Bei is now going to Jingzhou in person to invite -

Compared to unifying the world, this is a very small matter.

But for Zhuge Liang, he immediately realized the problems and sensitive points here. He was still worried about this Majesty who had been "wandering all his life", "lonely and helpless", and "suffered from many disasters". He was still unwilling to be a puppet again, for fear of being a puppet for another half of his life.

Of course, in this kind of situation, the person who tied the bell must be the one to untie it. Zhuge Liang trusted his lord Liu Bei, whether it was his rhetoric, his stance, or his firmness to the Han Dynasty.

Going back to the origin, he was destined not to be Cao Cao, not Dong Zhuo, not Yuan Shao, and certainly not Wang Mang!

Looking at the entire history, he is also a rare wise ruler who founded his country with "benevolence"!

Of course, besides Liu Bei not being in Luoyang, Zhuge Liang was also wondering, where is Guan Lin? How come, even though he was in Luoyang, he still couldn't see Guan Lin?
But what the clerk said next made Zhuge Liang understand.

Guan Lin was not in Luoyang either. He took Zhang Xingcai to Jiangdong.

As for the reason, it was that his child was about to be born in Jiangdong. This was nothing. Young people were impulsive and promiscuous. It was common for a seed to take root and sprout.

What’s more, he is a young man of Guan Lin’s status, position and achievements.

But... what Zhuge Liang never expected was that the child's mother was actually Sun Quan's daughter——

This couldn't help but... make Zhuge Liang look at Guan Lin with a much higher regard.

He destroyed their country, captured their daughter, and gave birth to a son.

This style of play...is so brilliant!

In Zhuge Liang's opinion, it was originally thought that Guan Suo, the fifth son of the Guan family...had captured the daughter of the Barbarian King with his charm and thus turned the situation around, which was already incredible enough. But now... Guan Lin, Guan Yunqi, is not much inferior to his younger brother!

Just when Zhuge Liang was feeling emotional.

The words of the clerk were heard again, "Although Uncle Liu and Master Guan are not in Luoyang, the situation in the whole world has stabilized."

Well…

Zhuge Liang paused for a moment, and his feather fan also stopped moving. He asked, "What do you mean?"

The clerk suddenly became very excited. "It took Zhuge Military Advisor two months to travel from Bashu to Luoyang... The world has changed a lot."

After an opening statement, the clerk danced with joy, "The first major event that happened recently is that Cao Zhang held a meeting in Bingzhou and attracted a large number of barbarians. It is said that there were as many as 400,000 of them... But our Fourth Master Guan joined forces with Cao Cao, using Zhang Liao and Zhang Wenyuan as bait, and burned all the barbarians to death. It is said that not a single one escaped. There is even... a saying circulating on the border now - there are no men outside the Great Wall!"

oh…

When hearing the news, Zhuge Liang was shocked. It was not because... how many Hu dogs were burned in this battle, nor was it because this battle left no men outside the Great Wall, but... it was because the clerk mentioned that the Fourth Master Guan joined forces with Cao Cao and used Zhang Wenyuan as bait.

This…

This is the most meaningful.

On this side, Zhuge Liang was still immersed in the cooperation between Guan Lin, Cao Cao and Zhang Liao.

The clerk continued to speak, and his words were even more explosive: "After the battle of Bingzhou... in order to seize Jizhou, Master Yunqi directly activated his spy beside Cao Pi, who cut off Cao Pi's head with one knife. Together with General Guan who led the Han army to descend from the sky, the battle of Yecheng in Jizhou was a bloodless surrender. Afterwards... Cao Cao's fourth son Cao Zhi wrote more than ten letters of persuasion and sent them to the entire Youzhou, Qingzhou, and Jizhou... Now, all the prefectures and counties in Qingzhou, Youzhou, and Jizhou have surrendered! Just yesterday, General Guan sent a letter saying that the northern border has been completely recovered, and the word Wei no longer exists in the north. Now... it can be said that the whole world is Han territory-"

Excited tone, dancing movements...

Every word could not conceal the excitement and ecstasy in the heart of the clerk.

This…

If Zhuge Liang had heard before that 400,000 barbarians in Bingzhou were burned to death and there were no men left in Mobei, he would have been only slightly surprised.

Then.

Now, Zhuge Liang suddenly had an incredible feeling.

He couldn't help but hum, "Dead spies? Cao Pi's head? Cao Zhi trying to persuade him to surrender? Yunqi again... Is this another masterpiece of Yunqi?"

It was with this chant that Zhuge Liang suddenly realized that he… he had come to Luoyang, but… it seemed that everything was over.

No, to be precise, it was because of Yunqi that everything was over!
That's when...

The clerk suddenly realized something and quickly said, "I almost forgot to report to Military Advisor Zhuge. Your Majesty has already rewarded all officials. Military Advisor Zhuge has been appointed as the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty. From now on... we should also change our address and call him Prime Minister Zhuge."

At this point, the clerk took a step back respectfully, and the Han soldiers also stepped back, and then everyone bowed together.

"Greetings to Prime Minister Zhuge——"

Prime Minister?
There is light in Zhuge Liang's eyes...

He never thought that one day he would become the prime minister of the Han Dynasty and assist the emperor in managing the entire empire.

This was something he had never thought about while working on the farm.

But it also seemed as if... there was a voice in the dark telling him that the position of Prime Minister was destined... and it belonged to him!
But in the end…

It seemed... in the first half when the big man dominated the country, Guan Lin did everything for him.

From the bottom of his heart, Zhuge Liang felt that he was unworthy of the position of Prime Minister.

Of course, after the first half of the Han Dynasty's unification, there is still the second half...

For a moment, Zhuge Liang thought of the emperor, Liu Bei, Cao Cao, Ma Chao, and Guan Yu...

Obviously, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that the big man's second half did not seem to be easy at all.

...

...

Xiangyang, Jingzhou, on the banks of the Han River.

The fishing rod in Liu Xie's hand fell because he was too nervous.

He was a little panicked and at a loss, "Why? I'm going to give up the throne to my uncle? My uncle doesn't want it either? Or... three persuasions and three refusal? My uncle means that I have to give up the throne three times before he will accept it?"

The messenger said thoughtfully, "Perhaps Liu Huangshu is really not like Cao Cao, Dong Zhuo and the like, let alone jackals, tigers and leopards like Li Jue and Guo Si... He has no covetous heart, nor does he have the idea of ​​usurping the throne!"

call…

Hearing this, Liu Xie seemed to be thinking about something, but soon, he shook his head repeatedly, "Impossible, absolutely impossible. When Cao Cao first met me, he was also like a loyal minister? Do you know how far he can go? He even brought me the utensils I used in the Han Palace in Luoyang, just to make me feel at ease... to please me! But what happened later? What happened later? He wore a sword and shoes when he entered the palace, he did not bow when he entered the court, he did not use his name when he praised or bowed... He used me to control the princes... I, I have experienced such hardships too many times. I... I really don't believe that Liu Bei will... not have covetous hearts, and no thoughts of usurping the throne?"

This…

The messenger pondered, but an old minister of the loyal Han Dynasty remained silent for a long time, then said, "Perhaps, the method that the Fourth Master Guan mentioned before is feasible! That method... can allow Your Majesty and the Emperor's uncle to coexist, which is in line with... the interests of the Han Dynasty, and also in line with the interests of Your Majesty and the Emperor's uncle! It is precisely because of this that the Emperor's uncle is not resigning for the third time, but really... wants to give up the throne."

Hearing this, Liu Xie paused for a moment, then slowly chanted, "Constitutional monarchy? Constitutional monarchy? Constitutional monarchy...?"

Three repeated words...

Liu Xie suddenly sat on the ground, and then laughed hysterically, "If that were the case, at least the world would always belong to the Han Dynasty, and at least I would be free... right... am I right?"

Yes…

Liu Xie longed for freedom so much!

He had been locked in a cage for decades, and he longed to be able to travel without restraint, just like now...

If he wants to go to Jingzhou, he can go to Jingzhou.

If he wants to go to Sili, he can go back to Sili!
He was afraid, afraid of losing everything! He was also afraid of losing his hard-earned freedom!
Thinking of this, Liu Xie exclaimed, "Constitutional monarchy is good, constitutional monarchy is good... I want to see my uncle, I will go to see my uncle now. The constitutional monarchy proposed by Yunqi is very good. I ask him to promote this constitutional monarchy in order to save the world and to end the four hundred years of the Han Dynasty... to end all the ills brought about by the hereditary throne. Even if my ancestors scold me, I have decided to do this... I can't watch the struggles between relatives and eunuchs become rampant again. I... I can't push the Han Dynasty into a repetitive cycle again. I... I can't lose my freedom again... again in the second half of my life!" At this point, tears welled up in Liu Xie's eyes.

"Just do it...just do it. It's enough for him to give me the title of emperor in name only. I just need to go through the formalities. I don't want military power, nor do I want political power. I...I just want freedom. I just want freedom—"

...

Jingzhou, Xiangyang City, at the city gate.

The messenger, who had been waiting for a long time, was now looking at Liu Bei in fear.

Liu Bei was thinking in a complicated way, and he also looked at the envoy in silence. Fa Zheng beside him seemed to be thinking about something, but he didn't say a word, and didn't give any guidance...

He wanted his good friend Liu Bei to make the final decision.

After a long silence, the envoy finally stepped forward and smiled bitterly, "Your Majesty supports this constitutional monarchy. Your Majesty will be the emperor in name only, accepting the worship of the people, and the emperor's uncle will be the leader of the cabinet, in charge of the political and military affairs of the Han Dynasty. This is the result of your Majesty's careful consideration, and it is also the best result for your Majesty and the emperor's uncle. Your Majesty also said... and also said..."

At the end, the messenger seemed to be hesitant to speak, but the muscles on his cheeks became stiff. It was obvious that he was too nervous to say the next words.

"What else did Your Majesty say?" Liu Bei helped the messenger up and asked with concern.

"His Majesty also said that if the Imperial Uncle does not agree to be the leader of the cabinet and take charge of the political and military affairs of the Han Dynasty, then...the Imperial Uncle should accept His Majesty's abdication! His Majesty has already prepared the imperial seal...and said he would hand it to the Imperial Uncle personally!"

This…

Liu Bei pondered for a moment.

"Why would your majesty say that?"

"This is about the emperor's oral decree. How dare I... I dare not make it up? Your Majesty now... He just wants freedom, freedom... Moreover, Your Majesty knows that the military power is in the hands of the emperor's uncle, and the world was conquered by the emperor's uncle. What else can Your Majesty... Your Majesty long for?"

"He is the Son of Heaven!" Liu Bei said solemnly, "The entire Han Dynasty belongs to him. He has everything he wants, including freedom!"

At this point, Liu Bei took off his double-edged sword and continued, "Why would you go without waiting for the emperor's summons? I will go to see the emperor in person and lead the way—"

...

Walking up the steps alone, Liu Bei had a solemn expression but very light steps. It was obvious that he paid special attention to... the etiquette that a Han minister should have.

The guards knelt down one after another and kowtowed to the current emperor's uncle, no... they were kowtowed to the current ruler of the world.

Bow down to this...the person who can control the life and death of everyone, including the emperor!

Liu Bei's eyes suddenly appeared with his hometown Zhuo County. He recalled the courtyard where he lived with his mother and the big mulberry tree in the courtyard.

He remembered that he had pointed at the big mulberry tree and said in a childish manner.

"One day, sooner or later, I will ride in this carriage with feathered canopy!"

Now, all of this... has come true!
As long as he wanted, he could ride in this feather-covered carriage forever.

But... when this day really came, he found that... his mood was complicated, restrained, and his emotions were hidden, even though... in front of him, the life and death of the emperor in this palace was entirely in his hands.

In Liu Bei's eyes there is tenacity that comes from going through hardships, there is reserve and forbearance that comes from being familiar with current affairs, there is ambition that comes from realizing ideals, and there is also... sympathy for the emperor in front of him, and sadness and helplessness that the Han Dynasty, which had lasted for four hundred years, was almost destroyed in his hands.

pity…

He is destined not to become Cao Cao——

And destined not to touch this supreme power——

Liu Bei entered the palace in a solemn manner and his footsteps became even lighter. But when Liu Xie noticed him coming, he jumped up like a frightened grasshopper and stared at his uncle in a daze, at a loss as to what to do.

Liu Bei walked respectfully and followed closely before Emperor Liu Xie.

With a "click", he fell to his knees.

"I, Liu Bei, the Left General of the Han Dynasty, pay my respects to Your Majesty—"

Liu Xie hurriedly helped Liu Bei up, "The Emperor's uncle is finally here. The last time I met the Emperor's uncle was... when I went to the toilet in the Xuchang Palace. I... oh no, what am I talking about? If the Emperor's uncle wants to take the throne, then it will be me... I have already prepared everything for the Emperor's uncle!"

He trembled as he picked up the jade seal on the table and handed it to Liu Bei...

This emperor, who is in his thirties, now looks like a child who has made a mistake, trembling and uneasy.

Liu Bei hastily postponed the question, "Your Majesty, what do you mean? I am a relative of the Han Dynasty, I live by my integrity, and my life's goal is to support the Han Dynasty. How could I be a usurper?"

Liu Xie was almost about to cry, "This is not a usurpation. It is precisely because you are the great-great-grandson of Emperor Xiaojing and the son of King Jing of Zhongshan, so... you deserve the throne! I have waited for this day for a long time. It is better to give the throne to you than to Cao Cao... to those jackals and beasts. At least... the Han of my uncle is still the Han, and I can explain it to my ancestors!"

Liu Bei still declined.

"The inheritance of the throne cannot be so careless. Moreover... Your Majesty has also seen that during the 400 years of the glorious Han Dynasty, the problems caused by the hereditary throne are too numerous to count. The emperor is young and the ministers are suspicious, the relatives of the emperor are in power, the eunuchs are in power... The 400-year-old Han Dynasty almost completely fell apart. This lesson is profound!"

"So, I often think that in the past, Yao abdicated to Shun, and Shun abdicated to Yu. At that time... they selected virtuous people to govern the world, and then the country was peaceful and the people were safe, and the situation was stable. But since Yu, the public world has become a family world. Since then... there have been all kinds of disasters in all dynasties. Later, Dong Zhongshu proposed the 'divine right of kings', which concentrated all power in the hands of the emperor. Therefore... when the emperor was in power, the country was strong, but once the emperor passed away, eunuchs or relatives would interfere in government affairs. There were Dou Wu and Chen Fan before, and He Jin and Yuan Shi later... The Han Dynasty almost collapsed in the struggle between relatives and eunuchs for hundreds of years! Tracing back to the source... all of this is the drawback of the family world. It is based on this that Yunqi mentioned the 'constitutional monarchy', established a cabinet, selected cabinet members from virtuous and good people, and returned the family world to the public world again. It may not be able to completely solve this problem, but it must be easier for the Han Dynasty to continue than the current family world..."

At this point, Liu Bei continued...

"Since the reigns of Emperors Huan and Ling, the people have suffered too much and all mankind has been in great difficulty... Your Majesty, we should reflect on this and solve this problem, rather than worrying about who will take over the throne... Yunqi once said something that I deeply understand: water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it... Your Majesty and the Han Dynasty are like a boat, and the Han Dynasty's millions of subjects are the water. Your Majesty should not talk about giving up the throne anymore. The most urgent task is for your Majesty and I to return a prosperous and healthy ideal country to the people of the world—"

This this…

Undoubtedly, Liu Bei's words completely shut Liu Xie up, causing him to swallow deeply.

After a brief hesitation, Liu Xie grabbed Liu Bei's hand.

"I asked the messenger to tell my uncle that I am willing to establish a constitutional monarchy. I am also willing to let my uncle take charge of the cabinet!"

At this point, Liu Xie seemed to have finally calmed down after a long period of depression in his heart. He chanted calmly, "Uncle, there are only you and me here. I might as well be honest with you for once... In fact, before I was eighteen, I wanted to use my own strength to save the Han Dynasty, but in the past ten years, I found that... my strength was too small and too weak, and even... at that time, Uncle Liu was wandering around, helpless and helpless... I thought that the destiny had changed and the people's hearts had given up. Only by ending the Han Dynasty, the people of the world would have hope, and I... myself would have hope, but... maybe this is the destiny!"

"In this situation of internal and external troubles, almost a dead end, God sent down these few people, who made me feel... that the destiny might still be with the Han Dynasty, and that this dead end and dilemma might still have room for turning around. The first person is Zhuge Kongming. I heard that the emperor's uncle appointed him as a military advisor and then entered Bashu, conquered Hanzhong, and launched a northern expedition to Xiangfan. I suddenly felt that the Han Dynasty had a little hope! The second one is Guan Lin... If Prime Minister Zhuge only gave me hope, then Guan Lin's sudden appearance seemed to be destined... He removed all my frustration and disappointment and brought the Han Dynasty back to the right track again!"

Speaking of which…

Liu Xie paused, then continued, "Later, I met this Guan Lin. He was indeed a magical young man. He even told me that I could still be an emperor and be worshipped by the people. He even... proposed a method to separate imperial power from political power. At that time, I thought... this method might be feasible! But after that, he proposed more methods and more systems... He said that the implementation of some systems requires a new class. For example, the workers in his Mianshui Villa are part of this class, as well as the female weavers and the male forgers... These are all brand new classes! He said that a more advanced system requires the popularization of culture, so... I promulgated a law to let everyone read and be literate. As long as they pass the imperial examination... they can avoid the death penalty when they commit a crime and be punished one level lower..."

"What he said is so amazing. I suddenly want to know, if we follow his method... and continue the Han Dynasty, what will it be like? Can we really achieve the goal of everyone having clothes to wear and food to eat?"

At this point, Liu Xie sat on his back as if relieved of a heavy burden, his eyes mixed with sadness and joy, "Now it's all right, I can hand over these most difficult tasks to my uncle, to you... I'm just looking forward to it, waiting to see this new Han Dynasty, to see what kind of city-state you can build? Even... in my spare time, I can do something else... This kind of free life is exactly what I yearn for!"

Hear this…

Liu Bei cupped his hands again, "It seems that His Majesty has agreed to implement this new political system and to form a cabinet..."

"Yes!" Liu Xie nodded heavily, feeling even more relieved.

Liu Bei stood up, looking at the emperor who was once so high and mighty, and asked gently, "Then... now that you no longer have to hold political and military power and are no longer bound by constraints, Your Majesty... what do you want to do?"

Liu Xie smiled and said, "I have been imprisoned for nearly twenty years. Once upon a time, I had nightmares every night. I could not see anything except fear! Now it's good. I am free. As long as I am free, I am willing to do anything... I heard that the official medical office founded by Guan Lin is teaching people to learn medicine. I also want to learn... If I can save some patients in this life and rescue them from the cage of patients, that feeling... should be very special!"

Liu Bei looked at the emperor in front of him and suddenly felt very pity.

"Your Majesty, do whatever you want. If you want to study medicine, then study medicine. If you want to treat patients, then treat patients... Even if Your Majesty does not want to stay in the palace, you can go sightseeing. If you think a place is good, you can settle down for a while. If there is a ceremony that requires Your Majesty to participate, I and the cabinet will send someone to pick up Your Majesty..."

What Liu Bei said and the scene Liu Bei described were what Liu Xie once longed for but could not reach. He could not help but... burst into tears, "Uncle Liu, thank you so much!"

Liu Bei leaned over and wiped away Liu Xie's tears. "Your Majesty, please remember that Your Majesty will always be Your Majesty, the Emperor of the Han Dynasty. You will always enjoy the respect and offerings of the emperor, and you will always be the one to whom I am loyal—"

Having said that…

Liu Bei stood up, bowed repeatedly to the emperor, then turned around and walked out of the hall with still respectful steps.

For a moment, in this empty palace, Liu Xie sat slumped down as if relieved of a heavy burden. After a moment, a long cry of "wish come true" erupted here, which sounded like crying and laughing.

...

…(End of chapter)