Sima…
The Son of Heaven actually bestowed the position of Situ upon Lu Yu?
One of the Three Excellencies, Situ?
One must know that in the official system of the Great Han, below the Grand General and Grand Tutor were the Three Excellencies – Grand Commandant, Grand Minister of Works, and Grand Minister of Agriculture!
The Grand Commandant governed military power, the Grand Minister of Works governed construction, and the Situ governed the moral education of the populace!
Previously, the positions of Grand Commandant and Situ were vacant, thus, the only one holding a position among the Three Excellencies was Cao Cao. It could be said that he bore the burden of military, construction, and civil affairs all by himself, wielding unprecedented power.
For this reason, Cao Cao had once intended to act against Grand Commandant Yang Biao. Fortunately, due to Lu Yu's intervention, Yang Biao proactively resigned, thus avoiding a disaster for the Yang family.
It was also because of this that those officials loyal to the Han Dynasty held Lu Yu in high regard.
But today…
His Majesty had openly granted him another position among the Three Excellencies. The deeper meaning of this was self-evident!
And if the position of Situ, by force, brought Lu Yu to the same level as Cao Cao, then… the subsequent privileges of "praising without name, entering court without haste, and walking with sword and shoes on" began to resemble a confrontation.
On the surface, it was a confrontation between Lu Yu and Cao Cao, but in reality, it was a confrontation between the Han court and Cao's camp.
No wonder…
Upon hearing this declaration, the entire court erupted in an uproar!
Phew…
Xun Yu, Liu Bei, and even the generals of Cao's camp, with the exception of Cao Ren, all gasped.
Xun Yu, in particular, had a foreboding feeling.
Indeed…
It was understandable that His Majesty intended to use Lu Yu to checkmate Cao Cao, but… Lu Yu was the Hidden Dragon, how wise was he? Would his choices necessarily be within His Majesty's plan?
This… Xun Yu did not know.
But undoubtedly…
Lu Yu's choice now could very well tip the delicate balance between Cao's camp and the Han court!
Cao Cao's expression was the coldest of all…
In fact, when he heard the Son of Heaven Liu Xie bestow upon Yu'er the title of "Situ," and the privileges of "praising without name, entering court without haste, and walking with sword and shoes on," he was quite pleased, even feeling a bit smug.
Thank you, Your Majesty, for the divine assist!
Cao Cao had been contemplating how to help Yu'er expand his prestige and status, and now, it was perfect!
But…
Cao Cao's reaction was extremely swift.
Currently… Yu'er's plan was at a critical juncture. How could he show his slight joy and smugness? To lure the snake out of its hole, to purge the enemies within the palace walls, he had to appear angry!
He had to put on an expression of surprise, then shock, and finally, a cold demeanor…
"I, who must cooperate with your act, cannot pretend to be blind!"
"Minister Lu, why do you not kowtow and thank His Majesty for his grace?"
Before Cao Cao could even compose his expression, Dong Cheng spoke up first.
Ah… ah…
It was evident that Lu Yu feigned surprise and fear, his whole body trembling.
"Your Majesty, I…"
Just as he was about to speak, Cao Cao's words followed.
"Congratulations to Minister Situ Lu! Situ, one of the Three Excellencies, very good, very good!"
"Praising without name, entering court without haste, and walking with sword and shoes on! Also very good, very, very good! Haha… I, Cao Cao, truly congratulate you! I have underestimated Minister Lu! Heh heh!"
A cold laugh… a chilling laugh!
Cao Cao's words…
Each word was colder than the last, heavier than the last. Anyone could tell.
He was furious… truly furious!
And this was easily understood. If there was one tiger in the jungle, and another suddenly appeared, how could the original tiger be happy?
Upon hearing this, Liu Bei cast a glance at Lu Yu, then at Cao Cao.
He thought to himself…
"It seems Eunuch Leng conveyed my words to His Majesty. His Majesty acting this way is good… Even if he cannot win over Lu Yu, he can at least sow suspicion in Cao Cao's heart. By doing so, he can weaken him, and there will still be a chance."
With this thought, Liu Bei's eyes narrowed slightly, while his expression remained calm, neither joyful nor sorrowful, betraying nothing!
Seeing Lu Yu's silence, Dong Cheng reminded him again.
"Minister Situ Lu? Still dawdling? Do you intend to defy the imperial decree…"
At this point…
The gazes of all the civil and military officials were fixed on Lu Yu. It seemed… his choice had become exceptionally important, and at today's court, he had to decide which side to stand on!
Of course…
For example, Xun You, Xi Zhicai, they were certain that with Lu Yu's intelligence and quick wit, he would absolutely not accept the decree and thank His Majesty.
Unless…
Before they could finish their thoughts, Lu Yu spoke.
And it was precisely this speech that made Xun You, Xi Zhicai, the entire court, especially the civil and military officials of Cao's camp, erupt in an uproar once more!
"Your subject, Lu Yu, accepts the decree and kowtows to thank His Majesty for his grace!"
As these words left his lips…
The Son of Heaven Liu Xie's lips curled into a pleased smile, though he concealed his expression well. He signaled for the eunuchs to bring two stools and swiftly walked over to Cao Cao.
"Please, Minister of Works Cao, be seated…"
After saying this, Liu Xie walked over to Lu Yu. "Please, Minister Situ Lu, be seated!"
Tap! Tap!
Cao Cao took those incredibly heavy steps.
Before sitting down, he did not forget to glare fiercely at Liu Xie, and then fiercely at Lu Yu, as if he felt his glare was not fierce enough, and his act was not convincing enough!
He narrowed his gaze again, seeing that Lu Yu had not yet sat down, he said coldly, "Minister Situ Lu, His Majesty bids you to sit!"
The words were extremely cold, as if frozen in ice for ten thousand years!
Phew…
Lu Yu let out a light breath, and under everyone's gaze, he calmly sat down!
Just like that, in front of all the civil and military officials, he sat opposite Cao Cao, to his left and right!
Clearly, two powerful ministers, standing in opposition!
"Second Brother, how could you do this?" Xiahou Dun, a straightforward person, muttered and was about to step forward.
Cao Ren quickly stopped him… "Yuan Rang, do not move!"
He whispered his instructions…
Sensing some hidden meaning in Cao Ren's words, Xiahou Dun tapped his forehead and swallowed back what he wanted to say and roar.
The neutral officials around them began to whisper amongst themselves.
"It was Minister of Works Cao who was requesting merits for Minister Lu. Now, it's good that His Majesty has smoothly bestowed such a grand title upon him. Minister of Works Cao is in a rather awkward position!"
"Yes, from now on… I'm afraid this court will no longer be dominated by Minister of Works Cao alone."
"Heh heh, it's obvious that this was pre-arranged between His Majesty and Minister Situ Lu. Minister of Works Cao is in a situation where he has to swallow bitter medicine like a mute, with no way to express his suffering!"
Xun Yu's ears were sharp…
These hushed words reached his ears!
His brow furrowed instantly. Wrong, wrong… Among all the civil and military officials, only he, with his exceptional insight, understood the situation.
It was wrong…
How could Lu Yu be blinded by power? How could he lose his mind over a Situ, and the privileges of "praising without name, entering court without haste, and walking with sword and shoes on"?
This was clearly… clearly his plan!
The most loyal supporters of the Han Dynasty were about to… to fall into great misfortune.
With this thought, Xun Yu helplessly looked at the Son of Heaven in the hall, muttering to himself, Your Majesty, Your Majesty, you have misjudged Lu Yu, and underestimated the Hidden Dragon…
Seeing through it all, Xun Yu was unable to expose it and could only be lost in his thoughts.
Or perhaps… this was not a bad thing. For the Han Dynasty, for His Majesty… it would be a deeply etched and painful memory, and it could also purge those who overestimated their own abilities!
"Indeed, Minister of Works Cao is a powerful minister, but he is also a loyal minister!"
"And I, Xun Yu, although Cao Cao's confidant, am also a Han official!"
…
Lu Yu's rewards were shocking, but the matter had concluded.
Sitting in the hall, Lu Yu clearly still appeared as if he had not recovered, still unable to calmly accept all of this.
But this was not important. No one… could instantly transform from someone's confidant into a powerful minister. It required time, and Lu Yu's performance was very real, extremely real.
"Minister of Works Cao, who is this?"
The Son of Heaven Liu Xie cast a sideways glance at Liu Bei…
Leng Shouguang had already informed him with his eyes that this was Liu Bei, Liu Xuande!
In Emperor Liu Xie's plan, after winning over Lu Yu, the next step… would be to win over Liu Bei.
"Him? Your Majesty, please look… His name is Liu Bei, courtesy name Xuande!" Cao Cao replied.
"Minister Liu, come closer!" The Son of Heaven Liu Xie beckoned.
Liu Bei lowered his head, bowed, and stepped forward. With a "pat," he knelt on the ground. "Your subject, Liu Bei, pays his respects to Your Majesty."
"To which lineage does Your subject's ancestor belong?"
The Son of Heaven Liu Xie deliberately asked this.
Liu Bei truthfully replied, "Your subject is a descendant of King Jing of Zhongshan, a great-grandson of Emperor Xiaojing, grandson of Liu Xiong, and son of Liu Hong!"
Hmm…
The Son of Heaven Liu Xie feigned a look of surprise.
It seemed that due to the opposition between Lu Yu and Cao Cao, he had become more confident.
"Liu Xuande? I never imagined you are my imperial relative!"
"Quickly bring the imperial genealogy! I wish to verify it."
As these words were spoken, Leng Shouguang hastily ordered a eunuch to fetch it… In fact, the genealogy had long been prepared, just waiting to be presented!
Not long after, a young eunuch holding the imperial genealogy slowly arrived.
The Son of Heaven Liu Xie then waved his hand, "Read it to me!"
"Emperor Xiaojing had fourteen sons, the seventh son being King Jing of Zhongshan, Liu Sheng. Liu Sheng bore Liu Zhen, Marquis of Lucheng. Liu Zhen bore Liu Ang, Marquis of Peihou. Liu Ang bore Liu Lu, Marquis of Zhang. Liu Lu bore Liu Lian, Marquis of Yihou. Liu Lian bore Liu Ying, Marquis of Yanghou. Liu Ying bore Liu Buyi, Marquis of Fengling. Liu Buyi bore Liu Hui, Marquis of Jichuan. Liu Hui bore Liu Xiong, Prefect of Dong Commandery. Liu Xiong bore Liu Hong. Liu Hong did not hold office, and gave birth to Liu Bei!"
"Reporting to Your Majesty, Liu Bei is the eighteenth-generation descendant of Emperor Xiaojing!"
Gu
As these words were spoken, the entire assembly was shocked. They had never imagined that Liu Bei truly had such a connection.
Of course… as these words were spoken, Xun You and Xi Zhicai frowned.
This is not good. If His Majesty were to recognize Liu Bei as a relative, then Liu Bei would carry the title of "True Imperial Relative." This is very bad!
On the other hand, Cao Cao sat with a calm and composed demeanor, as if he were completely indifferent to Liu Bei's background!
Or perhaps, this was within his expectations!
Meanwhile, the Son of Heaven Liu Xie became utterly excited.
"Oh my… According to the genealogy, you are my imperial uncle…"
"Your Majesty's boundless grace, Liu Bei is grateful…" Liu Bei immediately responded. With this acknowledgment, the position of imperial uncle was secured. This title was infinitely superior to that of general, prefect, or governor!
Of course, next, Crown Prince Liu Xie would recite the prepared speech… aiming to enfeoff Liu Bei as General of the Left of Han and Marquis of Yicheng Ting!
Thus, with one Lu Yu and one Liu Bei, on this occasion at court, he, Liu Xie, was certain of victory!
Never did he expect…
Before Liu Bei could finish speaking, or even finish kowtowing.
"Wait a moment…"
With a cold snort, Cao Cao suddenly stood up and interrupted, "Let's not rush to recognize this imperial uncle for now!"
This…
Immediately, the eyes of all the officials turned towards Cao Cao.
"Minister of Works Cao, this…" Emperor Liu Xie quickly asked, "The imperial genealogy states it so. Minister of Works Cao, do you think… this imperial uncle can be false?"
"It is not false! In terms of seniority, Liu Xuande should be Your Majesty's imperial uncle, but… he cannot be!"
Cao Cao thought to himself, Yu'er had predicted this move from you long ago!
The corresponding responses have also been fully prepared!
Xuande, oh Xuande, the Tomb Robbing Battalion under Yu'er's command plunders your imperial tombs daily, and they are intimately familiar with your family genealogy!
Immediately, he waved his hand and said with a rather steady tone, "I have heard that King Jing of Zhongshan, Liu Sheng, had 207 sons. The fiefdom of Liu Zhen, Marquis of Lucheng, was in Zhuo Commandery, and he also had 134 sons. As for Liu Ang, Marquis of Peihou, Liu Lu, Marquis of Zhanghou, Liu Lian, Marquis of Yihou, Liu Ying, Marquis of Yanghou, Liu Buyi, Marquis of Fengling, and Liu Hui, Marquis of Jichuan, each had over eighty children!"
Cao Cao had truly done his homework on this matter…
Yu'er only said that Liu Sheng's lineage was known for "being exceptionally fertile." Indeed, upon investigation, it wasn't just fertile, it was… the fiefdom of Liu Zhen, Marquis of Lucheng, in Zhuo Commandery, was entirely populated by "Imperial Relatives"!
"Hahahaha…"
Cao Cao continued to laugh, "If we calculate this way, the imperial relatives from just Liu Sheng's lineage of Zhongshan King alone, there must be no less than several thousand people. So, if a random stone is thrown in Zhuo Commandery, wouldn't it hit an imperial uncle? Huh? Wouldn't it? If His Majesty wishes to recognize Liu Xuande as an imperial uncle, then can we say that anyone surnamed Liu in Zhuo Commandery is an imperial uncle?"
Cao Cao spread his hands, his tone quite bold.
Most importantly, he had reduced this title of imperial uncle to worthlessness!
Of course, these words sounded… a bit ridiculous!
But in reality, they held a certain logic!
The Son of Heaven could recognize an imperial uncle, but not so casually… and certainly not such an exceptionally fertile lineage.
Furthermore, Liu Sheng's lineage was so exceptionally fertile, that at this point… not only the civil and military officials of Cao's camp, but even the officials loyal to the Han court felt that Liu Bei's imperial uncle status had rather low "gold content"!
This…
The Son of Heaven Liu Xie's expression suddenly turned cold, his face paling as white as paper.
He had absolutely not expected Cao Cao to have prepared so thoroughly!
Could it be that his intention to recognize Liu Bei as an imperial uncle had been leaked?
No way?
Emperor Liu Xie's expression turned ashen, looking extremely displeased.
But the most displeased was undoubtedly Liu Bei himself…
Ashamed, humbled, disgraced…
This was no longer about whether he would become an imperial uncle. What had his ancestors done? They were too damn fertile!
Being so fertile, then… the title of descendant of King Jing of Zhongshan, great-grandson of Emperor Xiaojing, seemed to have its "gold content" suddenly reduced, dropping to the bottom!
Uncomfortable, Liu Bei felt exceptionally uncomfortable!
At this moment, he wanted to cry, he wanted to suffer.
On the other hand, Lu Yu's lips curved subtly, and a faint smile appeared in his heart. Dealing with Liu Bei, the first step… was to scheme against his reputation!
Liu Bei's prestige had risen because of the title of imperial uncle. Once this title was gone, the name Liu Bei, Liu Xuande, would not be so appealing anymore!
The world would only remember Liu Imperial Uncle, who would remember Liu Xuande?
Heh heh…
Seeing Liu Bei's barely concealed crying tone, Lu Yu felt eight words in his heart – happily witnessed! Great joy!
Of course, this matter was not over yet!
As the saying goes, "killing with a sword strikes the heart,"…
It was not yet time to strike the heart!
Just then, Cao Cao's voice followed.
"Your Majesty's desire to find a relative, I understand. After all, in recent years, due to continuous warfare, the nation has suffered, and Your Majesty has also been bullied by rebels… I am loyal to the monarch and serve the country, eliminating bandits and pacifying the people, but I have had little time to be close to Your Majesty, inevitably making Your Majesty feel lonely. It is for this reason that Your Majesty was so overjoyed to see Xuande!"
"However, if we are to speak of an imperial uncle… it must have substantial 'gold content'! Your Majesty recognizes one imperial uncle, not a thousand imperial uncles!"
At the end of his speech, Cao Cao abruptly turned his tone and loudly called out, "Ziyang, come in!"
As these words were spoken…
Tap, tap…
Another person slowly walked in from the Hall of ChangLe Palace and approached Emperor Liu Xie…
With a "pat," he also knelt on the ground and respectfully saluted.
"Your subject, Liu Ye, pays his respects to Your Majesty!"
That's right, the person who entered was Liu Ye…
Cao Cao walked to Liu Ye's side, "Your Majesty might not know this person yet, right? His name is Liu Ye, courtesy name Ziyang. He has made significant contributions in Lujiang and even built great warships for our Great Han, strengthening our Han navy!"
"Furthermore, he is a descendant of Liu Yan, son of Emperor Guangwu and King of Fulings. His father Liu Pu, his grandfather…"
Cao Cao named Liu Ye's father, grandfather, and going further back… all the way to Emperor Guangwu, Liu Xiu!
Finally, he did not forget to ask loudly:
"Is the imperial genealogy not here? You all check, is what I, Cao Cao, saying true or not? Ziyang is also Emperor Xiaojing's eighteenth-generation descendant!"
As these words were spoken…
The eunuch holding the imperial genealogy immediately read out.
"Minister of Works Cao is absolutely correct. If we count from Emperor Xiaojing, Liu Ye, Liu Ziyang, is also Emperor Jing's eighteenth-generation descendant!"
Hmm…
As soon as this was said, the entire assembly fell silent.
The Son of Heaven Liu Xie and Liu Bei both realized something.
And Cao Cao's words followed.
"Since Your Majesty wishes to find an imperial relative to be an imperial uncle, why not recognize Ziyang as an imperial uncle? Ziyang's father and grandfather have mostly passed down their lineage. The 'gold content' of this imperial uncle is much higher than Liu Xuande's! Furthermore, Ziyang has made significant contributions, and Your Majesty should also grant him certain rewards!"
Huo…
The situation had completely reversed!
The Son of Heaven Liu Xie's expression had changed, but… facing Cao Cao's aggressive push.
He was powerless.
He tried to look at Lu Yu, only to see Lu Yu spread his hands. Yes… the imperial genealogy was right here, and it was Liu Xie who proposed recognizing an imperial uncle. How could he refute it?
"Minister of Works Cao is absolutely correct…"
"Liu Ye, accept the imperial decree…"
The Son of Heaven Liu Xie said helplessly, "I recognize you as an imperial relative of the Han, and having made repeated contributions, I hereby appoint you as General of the Left and Marquis of Yicheng Ting! You are my… my imperial uncle!"
Liu Ye bowed his hands. "Your subject thanks His Majesty for his grace!"
In fact, Liu Ye was the most dreamlike…
He didn't even know what had happened!
He had only heard that Young Master Lu had dispatched a scholar named Chen Gong to Lujiang to take over his position. As for him… Young Master Lu had told him to return to Xudu City immediately, saying that good things were about to happen, and happiness was knocking at the door!
Liu Ye didn't know what good things were happening, but… today, the grand title of imperial uncle, the position of General of the Left, and the marquisate of Yicheng Ting had all fallen upon him!
My heavens, was this happiness knocking at the door? This was happiness directly hitting him on the forehead!
Throughout the entire process, Liu Ye was bewildered. In short, it was very miraculous…
Over here…
Liu Ye's mood was naturally excited!
On the other hand, Liu Bei, despite his efforts to suppress his inner helplessness, felt hot tears rolling down his cheeks at this moment.
Not many, but… each tear was exceptionally full.
These tears dissolved on the floor of the Hall of ChangLe Palace. His heart felt like snow flakes dancing wildly, and his mind was shrouded in mist!
Pain…
For Liu Bei, it was heartache! Liver pain! Spleen, lung, kidney… everywhere, everywhere hurt!
No comparison! No harm!
Both are imperial relatives, and he was ahead of the line, but… why did the other person become an imperial uncle, while he became the one destined to be forgotten!
The once scorching Hall of ChangLe Palace suddenly felt a lot colder.
As if in a dream, within the palace, it seemed only Liu Bei remained. He felt his legs go weak, his lips trembling. The feeling of gaining and then losing was even more painful than never having gained it at all…
People say killing with a sword strikes the heart. Indeed… the most tragic thing is not being killed, but having one's heart destroyed! The saying "grief is worse than death" is exactly this feeling!
"…"
Silence… But other than silence, Liu Bei could do nothing!
Why?
He did not understand why this "imperial uncle" position, which was as good as cooked, had flown away like a butterfly!
At this moment, in this scene.
A song seemed to appear before Liu Bei's eyes: "The sky is a deep blue, there are thousand paper cranes outside the window!"
PS:
(This part is accompanied by background music: "mom" from 1:02 to 1:06, recommended at 0.75x speed, to truly grasp Liu Bei's mood!)
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