Ji Han Liu Zhang

Xiangyang government office.

After Liu Biao explained his point of view - that Grand Marshal Liu Zhang had the intention of seizing the opportunity, he looked a little dejected. The world was in turmoil and it was a time for heroes to rise up and heroes to soar. However, he did nothing but sit in Jingxiang and watch the surrounding areas, which seemed a bit cowardly.

"Ah." Liu Biao sighed lightly and shook his head silently. He knew his own limitations. It was not that he did not want to fight for supremacy in the world, but that he did not have the means and ability to do so. There were no talents in Jingxiang who could help with major events.

For example, he had always wanted to capture Zhang Lu of Shangyong. He sent Cai Mao and Zhang Yun to lead troops to attack him many times. Their military strength was often twice that of Zhang Lu, but they failed repeatedly and were defeated several times. Under such circumstances, Liu Biao felt that he could only defend himself, but if he tried to conquer the world, he would only bring disaster upon himself and he would be in danger of losing his life.

With this thought in mind, Liu Biao's cloudy but bright eyes turned to Liu Qi, his eldest son, who was very likely to inherit his power and position. The moment his eyes fell on Liu Qi, his expression became even more dejected.

"The son is not like his father, his talent is inferior to his father." Liu Biao sighed deeply. As his eldest son, Liu Qi should have made great achievements, but Liu Qi's talent was very humble. Apart from his filial piety, he had no other merits.

"If Qi'er had the same talent as Liu Jiyu, no, even if she only had half of Liu Jiyu's talent, I could have handed over Jingzhou to Qi'er, and I wouldn't be in such a dilemma as I am now."

Liu Biao was old, and apart from maintaining his rule in Jingzhou, his biggest concern was the choice of successor. However, Liu Qi, as his eldest son, was not very talented, and he was afraid that he would not be able to stay in Jingxiang and resist the bandits from all sides. Therefore, he was really unwilling to hand Jingzhou to Liu Qi.

Just when Liu Biao was worried, there was a noise outside the door. Deputy Driver Liu Xian and counselor Kuai Yue came together. They both had solemn expressions and hurried steps. The two men, who were calm and composed in the past, now seemed a little restless and a little strange.

When Liu Biao looked up, he naturally noticed the unusual behavior of Liu Xian and Kuai Yue. He made a plan in advance to avoid showing a surprised expression when hearing the bad news, and losing the style of the Governor of Jingzhou and the General of Zhennan.

"Your Excellency." Liu Xian and Kuai Yue both bowed and saluted Liu Biao in the hall.

"You two gentlemen are here, is there anything important?" Liu Biao waved his hand, motioning Liu Xian and Kuai Yue to sit down first, and at the same time he asked a question.

"It is indeed an important matter!" Liu Xian replied as he took his seat. After he was seated, he cupped his hands and said to Liu Biao, "Sir, according to the scouts' report, Yuan Shu of Huainan usurped the throne in Shouchun in the spring, established the Zhong clan, appointed officials, and built shrines in the southern and northern suburbs."

"How dare Yuan Shu do that?" The eldest son Liu Qi was shocked when he heard this. He could hardly sit still and stood up and said in surprise.

Although the Han Dynasty was in decline, the emperor was still there. Liu Qi couldn't believe that Yuan Shu dared to defy the world and establish a system in Huainan and proclaim himself emperor. How rebellious and crazy this was.

It is well known that the Yuan family of Runan has three dukes in four generations. Now Yuan Shao is the general, and the Yuan family has had three dukes in five generations. The Han Dynasty’s kindness to the Yuan family is indeed great. However, even under such circumstances, it is hard to believe that Yuan Shu dared to proclaim himself emperor in Huainan.

"My Lord." Kuai Yue came forward and explained to Liu Qi, who looked shocked, "Yuan Shu is a traitor who has always been rebellious and has no basis for his words. He said that the Han Dynasty would decline and the Yuan family would rise. He also used his courtesy name Gonglu to echo the prophecy, echoing the saying in the world that 'the one who will replace the Han Dynasty will be Dangtu Gao'... He has long had the intention of rebelling, and it is natural for him to usurp the throne today."

Liu Qi was still in shock and fury. As a member of the royal family, he could not tolerate anyone's attempt to usurp power. He bowed to Liu Biao, who was sitting at the top of the family, and said, "Father, the Yuan family has had three dukes for four generations and has received great favors from the Han Dynasty. If you dare to speak nonsense about the will of heaven, you are really rebellious. We should issue a letter to blame Yuan Shu, and then send out strong troops to conquer Huainan."

Unlike Liu Qi, whose face was filled with mixed emotions such as surprise and anger, Liu Biao's old and frail face showed no emotion. He just gently stroked his beard with his hand and half-narrowed his eyes.

To be honest, Liu Biao was not too surprised about Yuan Shu's declaration of emperorship. After all, considering Yuan Shu's character as a "fierce ghost on the road", it was not surprising that he would do such a thing. As for Yuan Shu's usurpation of the throne and offending the Liu family, Liu Biao was not angry about it. He just wanted to laugh.

"Yuan Shu, you are such a coward, far inferior to Yuan Benchu." Liu Qi's words did not wait for Liu Biao's response, Liu Biao sighed first.

Liu Biao then responded to Liu Qi's words. He thought for a moment and then said, "We should issue a letter to blame Yuan Shu, but we should put aside the issue of sending troops to conquer Huainan. We should first submit a letter to the court to urge Cao Mengde to send troops to conquer Huainan. Cao Mengde is in charge of the government, so this matter should be done by Cao Mengde. We can wait and see. If Cao Mengde cannot defeat Yuan Shu, we can send troops later."

Liu Biao adhered to his usual plan of staying out of the matter. He could issue a manifesto, but he would not send troops to attack Huainan. He did not have the energy nor the interest to do so.

As for maintaining the authority of the Han Dynasty and supporting the emperor's virtue, Liu Biao believed that the responsibility should be shouldered by Cao Cao, who welcomed the emperor and oversaw the court. Since Cao Cao controlled the emperor's government, he should have gone to conquer Huainan.

"Your Excellency is wise." Kuai Yue bowed and praised Liu Biao's decision. As a big family in Xiangyang, the reason why Kuai Yue joined hands with Cai to support Liu Biao as the governor of Jingzhou in the beginning was just to stabilize the situation in Jingzhou and prevent Jingzhou from falling into the hands of Yuan Shu, and to ensure the peace of Jingzhou. As for assisting Liu Biao in conquering the four directions and seeking hegemony, neither Kuai nor Cai had much interest in it.

Although Liu Qi felt that Liu Biao's decision was a little inappropriate, he believed that his father Liu Biao, as a relative of the Han Dynasty and the ruler of the eight counties of Jingxiang, should at least send a brigade to attack Yuan Shu, even if it was just for show. However, although he felt that it was inappropriate, Liu Qi still accepted Liu Biao's decision and did not dare to argue with Liu Biao.

Koto.

Since escaping from Yuan Shu and crossing the Yangtze River during the Xingping period, the six counties of Jiangdong have now all fallen into the hands of Sun Ce. Although it is a dangerous place where there are still clan thieves and heroes who have not surrendered, the entire territory of Jiangdong is now under the banner of the Sun family, and the Sun family is the dominant force in Jiangdong.

The current situation is not bad for Sun Ce, but Sun Ce still has one or two concerns. That is, everyone regards him as a subordinate of Yuan Shu, and he has not gained the reputation of being independent.

But now, there is a great opportunity in front of Sun Ce. He can take this opportunity to break away from Yuan Shu and truly become a local lord.

And this opportunity was Yuan Shu's usurpation of the throne as emperor.

"General, the letter rebuking Yuan Shu for claiming the throne has been written, please take a look." Zhang Hong picked up his pen and wrote a letter "On behalf of Sun Kuaiji to rebuke Yuan Shu for usurping the throne" to sever the connection between the Sun family and Yuan Shu. "Okay." Sun Ce took the document written by Zhang Hong and read it carefully.

"The young ruler has done no harm to the world, but he is still young and threatened by powerful ministers. If he seizes the throne without any fault, I am afraid it is not in line with the actions of Tang and Wu." This means that the emperor Liu Xie is young and has no faults, and the chaos in the world today is the fault of Dong Zhuo, Li and Guo, so it is not appropriate to do the things of Tang and Wu at this time.

"The five generations of Yuan family have been prime ministers, and their power and influence are unmatched in the world. Loyal people must say that they should think about it day and night, so as to help the country in its tumble, think about the dangers of the country, and follow the wishes of their ancestors to repay the kindness of the Han Dynasty." Here, it is said that the Yuan family has received great kindness from the country, and they should think about repaying the country, and should not usurp the title and be hated by the world.

'Many people in the world are confused by maps and prophecies, and they are drawn to things that are not related to them. They compare words to please their own affairs. If they try to please their superiors and confuse the people, they will regret it in the end. There has always been such a thing since the past. We must carefully choose and think hard.' Finally, Sun Ce advised Yuan Shu not to be confused by maps and prophecies and do rebellious things. If he acts like this, he will regret it in the end.

"What you wrote is very much to my liking. I will send it to Yuan Shu." After reading the document, Sun Ce clapped his hands and sighed, impressed by Zhang Hong's literary talent and conception. He planned to send this letter to Yuan Shu as a manifesto to sever ties with Yuan Shu.

From now on, he will establish his own faction and become a legitimate warlord.

"It's a pity that Gongjin is not here, otherwise it would be wonderful to hold a big banquet and drink to our heart's content." After asking Zhang Hong to deliver the document, Sun Ce thought of Zhou Yu, who had followed him to conquer Jiangdong and returned to Shouchun. But now he was not by his side and could not share his joy.

Huainan, Shouchun.

A voice of discontent came from the government office in Shouchun: "Liu Jiyu is just a kid. He only defeated Li Jue and Guo Si in Guanzhong, but the court actually conferred him the title of King of Shu. This is really absurd."

The person who spoke was Yuan Shu, who had now proclaimed himself emperor. Although he had proclaimed himself emperor, he was very dissatisfied with the court's conferring the title of King of Shu on Liu Zhang. He believed that such a conferment was too generous. But in fact, it was because Yuan Shu was envious and jealous when he saw Liu Zhang being conferred the title of King of Shu.

Putting down the document from the court conferring the title of King of Shu on Liu Zhang, Yuan Shu continued to read other documents on the desk. As an emperor, he felt that he should be more diligent, otherwise how could he expand the Yuan family's empire.

In fact, Yuan Shu did not care about Liu Zhang in Guanzhong. What he cared about was the plans of the surrounding princes. He had just proclaimed himself emperor and the news had just spread to all directions. Yuan Shu had no idea what the princes were thinking and planning now, whether they approved of his enthronement or disagreed with it, and whether they would send troops to attack.

However, Yuan Shu was not too worried. The virtue of the Han Dynasty had declined, and the princes were all pursuing their own interests. Many of them did not obey the king's orders. He thought that there would not be many people who would stand up for the Liu family. He could deal with them most of the time, and he could live happily in Huainan for a long time.

At this time, Yuan Shu heard some movement at the door. He looked up and saw that it was the Minister Yan Xiang who came to see him. He waved his hand and asked the imperial guards at the door to stop trying to stop Yan Xiang and let Yan Xiang in to see him.

"Shizhong, what important matter do you have that brings you here?" Yuan Shu smiled and called Yan Xiang "Shizhong", which was the official title he granted to Yan Xiang after he became emperor. It was a token of his favor to Yan Xiang.

"Ming Gong." When Yan Xiang opened his mouth, he did not call Yuan Shu "Your Majesty", but called Yuan Shu "Ming Gong" as usual.

Yuan Shu was displeased when he heard this, but he suppressed his displeasure towards his close minister Yan Xiang and said, "Minister, I have now established my system and proclaimed myself emperor, so I cannot use the previous titles."

Seeing this, Yan Xiang looked worried and said with a sigh, "Mingsong, you are in great trouble right now. You will be attacked by all the princes in the world. I hope you can give up your title of emperor soon."

"Why do you say that, Minister Tu Na? You asked me to give up my title of emperor. Now the Liu family's empire has declined, and the world is in turmoil. My family, Yuan Shu, has produced three high officials for four generations, and the scholars and common people respect and depend on me. I follow the will of heaven, and my virtue is admired by all quarters. How could I be attacked by the princes of the world?" Yuan Shu said with a calm smile.

Seeing Yuan Shu's indifferent expression, Yan Xiang stepped forward and said earnestly: "Mingsir, the Zhou people from Hou Ji to King Wen have accumulated virtues and merits, and have already controlled two-thirds of the world, but they still serve the Shang Dynasty. Although your family has been prosperous for generations, it is not as virtuous and powerful as the Zhou people. Although the Han Dynasty has declined, it is not as cruel and unjust as King Zhou of Shang..."

"Minister, I don't know how many times I have heard you say this." Yuan Shu was displeased and interrupted Yan Xiang abruptly.

Yan Xiang ignored it and continued, "Mingshao, although the virtue of Han Dynasty has declined, it is not as tyrannical as Qin Dynasty. The princes in all directions all respect Liu family. There is no situation like the princes in the late Qin Dynasty proclaiming themselves as kings... Therefore, it is a big mistake for you to proclaim yourself emperor now. If the princes in all directions hear of it, they may unite their troops to attack Huainan. Then you will be out of control and the situation will be even worse. It may be dangerous."

"Minister, you are worrying too much." Yuan Shu waved his hands and said, "Lü Bu of Xuzhou is my relative by marriage, and Sun Ce of Jiangdong is a general under my command. Among the four princes, only Cao Cao of Xudu needs to be worried about. However, the land of Yanyu is surrounded by enemies. How can Cao Cao go out easily? Even if Cao Cao leads his troops to attack me, I will join forces with Lü Bu of Xuzhou and Sun Ce of Jiangdong. How can Cao Cao be my opponent?"

In front of Yan Xiang, Yuan Shu showed a confident look. He had already sent Han Yin as an envoy to Xuzhou to meet Lu Bu. He would marry Lu Bu's daughter for his son. By then, Lu Bu and he would become relatives, and Huainan and Xuzhou would be like one family.

As for Sun Ce of Jiangdong, although Sun Ce is brave, he also has Sun Ce's father Sun Jian under his control, so he is not afraid that Sun Ce will make any unusual moves or have different disagreements with him.

However, Yuan Shu's confidence was completely wiped out by the next two waves of disasters.

A disaster came from Xuzhou. Lu Bu, who had originally agreed to marry him, suddenly changed his mind, retrieved his daughter who was already on the way, and tied up his messenger Han Yin and sent him to Xu County.

Another disaster came from Jiangdong. Sun Ce sent a letter, blaming him for declaring himself emperor and saying that he would cut off all ties with him and would no longer serve him.

"Hateful." Yuan Shu roared angrily. Lü Bu and Sun Ce's behavior made him feel betrayed. At this moment, he hated Lü Bu and Sun Ce so much that he decided to send troops to attack them to vent his hatred. (End of this chapter)