Three Kingdoms: My Strategy Simulator.

Immediately following Liu Yu, a group of Han Dynasty relatives began to persuade him.

"A country cannot be without a ruler for a day. It is precisely because that traitor Lü murdered the emperor that today a Han traitor dares to call himself a king. How many more days will it be before that traitor dares to proclaim himself emperor? If this continues, how can the great Han survive?"

"Today, we implore Imperial Uncle to emulate Emperor Shizu and ascend the throne to stabilize the hearts of the people and let the world know that the great Han still exists!"

"Now, with the Elder of the Imperial Clan here, and with the recommendation of us, the Han Dynasty relatives, it can be said to be perfectly justified."

As someone said this amidst the chaos, a chorus of agreement immediately arose.

Previously, when Dong Zhuo carried out the act of deposing and establishing emperors, Yuan Shao had the idea of honoring Liu Yu as emperor, but Liu Yu refused him with words.

However, this is enough to prove Liu Yu's high prestige among the Han Dynasty relatives, to the extent that Yuan Shao believed that proclaiming him emperor could win over the public.

Now, in order to persuade Liu Bei to advance, Liu Yu traveled thousands of miles from Youzhou to Shouchun to appear here, strongly recommending Liu Bei to proclaim himself emperor.

This made the Han Dynasty relatives gathered here feel as if they had a backbone, and their determination to recommend Liu Bei as emperor became even more firm.

Today's great Han can only restore the majesty of the Han Dynasty and prevent the hearts of those who are loyal to the Han Dynasty from being scattered if Liu Bei proclaims himself emperor.

However, facing this grand occasion, Liu Bei still showed a hesitant expression, and then spoke.

"Everyone, everyone, please listen to me."

Immediately, the originally noisy and excited scene quickly quieted down.

Facing countless gazes, Liu Bei sighed and then said.

"I am apprehensive. I am grateful for the love of all my fellow clansmen, uncles, and brothers, but everything is about being justified."

"I was originally a farmer in Zhuo County, enjoying a peaceful life for twenty years thanks to the blessings of my ancestors. When the world was in chaos, because I was unwilling to disgrace the name of my ancestors, I gathered righteous soldiers to讨 (tǎo: suppress, eliminate) the Yellow Turbans, and I was entrusted by the late emperor to govern a region."

"Now, even governing a region is like walking on thin ice, and I dare not be negligent in the slightest. How can my virtue be sufficient to govern the world?"

"Furthermore, successive emperors have ascended the throne by passing on the imperial jade seal. Now that the jade seal is not here, how dare I ascend the throne without the jade seal and do something that would make me a laughingstock?"

Upon hearing this, everyone's brows could not help but furrow.

The importance of the Imperial Jade Seal to the Son of Heaven of the Han Dynasty is self-evident.

However, the whereabouts of the Imperial Jade Seal are unknown, which is almost an open secret.

Many of the Han Dynasty relatives present even subconsciously turned their gazes to Liu Qi.

After all, according to various rumors, Sun Jian stole the jade seal, and then Liu Biao ambushed and killed Sun Jian to seize the jade seal…

However, Liu Biao encountered a great defeat and died on the way to lead his troops into Sichuan, and since then, the whereabouts of the Imperial Jade Seal have been completely unknown.

However, the biggest suspects are none other than the descendants of Liu Biao and Liu Yan.

"Liu Qi, if the jade seal is in your hands, quickly take it out."

"That's right, the great Han cannot be without a ruler any longer…"

"Hand over the jade seal to Imperial Uncle, and no one will blame you for hiding this thing; on the contrary, you will have done a great service!"

Immediately, the Han Dynasty relatives standing to Liu Qi's left and right whispered to persuade Liu Qi, who was wearing a monk's robe, with a face full of helplessness and innocence.

Liu Qi was not a person who coveted power. After moving to Shouchun to settle down, even if Liu Bei intended to make Liu Qi an official, Liu Qi declined all of them. Apart from eating vegetarian food and chanting Buddha, he spent every day walking birds and fishing, cultivating his sentiments.

Recently, Liu Qi had gradually started playing with Yuan Shu, who was living in luxury, and did not think about Jingzhou at all.

As far as Liu Qi was concerned, if the Imperial Jade Seal was in his hands, he would have handed over this hot potato long ago, so as not to attract any misfortune.

"I don't have it…"

"Really don't have it?"

Feeling the suspicious gazes of his fellow clansmen, uncles, and brothers, Liu Qi felt a great pressure. He gritted his teeth and simply swore an oath in front of everyone.

"If Liu Qi knows the whereabouts of the Imperial Jade Seal and conceals it, may my lineage be cut off without descendants, I swear before my late father and ancestors."

In less than a few breaths, the suspicious gazes on Liu Qi quickly dissipated.

Daring to swear before his late father and ancestors, then he certainly does not have it.

With the suspicion of Liu Qi gone, the more troublesome thing was that the whereabouts of the Imperial Jade Seal were completely unknown.

What the clan members were most worried about was that Liu Biao had hidden the jade seal in some unknown secret place, so that there was no way to find it.

"Liu Jingsheng, you are truly harming the country and the people…"

"Inhuman! It's fine to have thoughts that shouldn't be had, but how can you make the whereabouts of the Imperial Jade Seal unknown even after death."

"Expulsion! The Elder of the Imperial Clan should report to the ancestors and expel this scoundrel Liu Biao from the genealogy…"

Liu Qi, who was being scolded by his elders in the face and could not say a word, quickly opened his mouth when he heard this.

"Cannot be expelled! My late father was wrong, but the mistake does not warrant expulsion…"

"Enough!"

Seeing that the topic seemed to be deviating, the increasingly aging Liu Yu said in a deep voice, and then cupped his hands towards Liu Bei.

"Xuande, it is true that the Imperial Jade Seal is a symbol of the Son of Heaven, but it is impossible for the great Han to be without a ruler for a day because the Imperial Jade Seal is lost for a day, causing the Han traitors to run rampant and claim kings and emperors, and the great Han to be divided, right?"

"Or is it that Xuande is repeatedly declining because of concerns about those criticisms, or because it damages his reputation?"

Seeing that even Liu Yu, who was usually the most reasonable and conservative, had simply resorted to moral kidnapping, Li Ji could not help but reveal a trace of a smile.

It was enough to see that Liu Yu was really anxious.

Given the current situation of the great Han, apart from Liu Bei carrying the banner of the Han Dynasty, there was actually no second candidate.

Liu Yu knew this, and the other Han Dynasty relatives gathered here also understood this.

Once Liu Bei truly refused to advance, then in the great Han, which was about to fall, those who claimed to be kings and emperors would inevitably emerge one after another, repeating the chaos of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods.

At this moment, Li Ji saw Sima Yi, who had revealed a little of his body outside the door and winked.

Immediately, while the Han Dynasty relatives who were still trying to persuade Liu Bei did not notice, Li Ji quietly withdrew from the side door of the council hall, and then walked to the outside of the Prefecture Shepherd's mansion.

At this moment, on the wide street outside the Prefecture Shepherd's mansion, which was wide enough for eight carriages to run side by side, in addition to the civil and military officials who had arrived and were arranged on the left and right, there were also densely packed people gathered on the entire street.

Li Ji, who walked out of the Prefecture Shepherd's mansion, witnessed this scene and asked with feigned surprise.

"Why are you gathering here? Disperse quickly."

Several old men walked out and saluted Li Ji.

"We have important matters to request to see Imperial Uncle, please inform Marquis."

Li Ji nodded slightly, and then said to the guards behind him. "Report this matter to the Lord quickly."

Immediately afterwards, Li Ji also retreated to the first position in the ranks of civil officials and waited.

Not only was Li Ji waiting, but the densely packed and not chaotic people on the street were also waiting.

(End of this chapter)