The banquet continued with song and dance, creating an atmosphere of peace and harmony.
But...
Beneath the alluring dances, sharp gazes, which seemed capable of piercing one's soul, could not be concealed...
No one was appreciating the singers' performances anymore. All eyes were fixed on Lu Yu.
"Ziyu, no matter what, you must give us old uncles an explanation for today's imperial examinations. Otherwise, if things continue to develop like this, in a few years, any insignificant person will be able to defecate on our Quanpei warriors!"
Cao Hong's words escalated the tension in the hall to a new level.
Initially...
Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan had tried to mediate and dissuade, but in reality, they also felt that Lu Yu's actions... were somewhat improper.
How could he favor some and discriminate against others?
Favoring those scholars while looking down upon the meritorious officials of Quanpei?
Finally...
Under everyone's gaze, Lu Yu spoke. "You uncles are all familiar with the Chu-Han Divide between Emperor Gaozu of Han and the Hegemon King of Western Chu, aren't you?"
Upon hearing this...
Xiahou Yuan said, "That was in August of the fourth year of Gaozu's reign. Peng Yue of Liang harassed the Chu forces and cut off their supply lines. At this time, Zhong Limei was besieged by the Han army. Xiang Yu led his troops to intercept Peng Yue and then returned to provide aid. It was then that King Han Xin of Qi led his army to attack the Chu forces. Xiang Yu, fearing this, agreed to the 'Treaty of Hong Canal,' dividing the land along the canal built by the state of Wei during the Warring States period, which divided the empire. This is historically known as the Chu-Han Divide!"
Xiahou Yuan had also studied at the Imperial Academy, a few years younger than young Cao Cao, hence he was adept at recounting these historical military tales.
"What about the Battle of Gaixia?" Lu Yu asked again...
This...
Xiahou Dun scratched his head, trying to recall.
Cao Xiu blurted out,
"After the 'Treaty of Hong Canal,' Zhang Liang and Chen Ping advised Liu Bang to tear up the treaty and launch a surprise attack from behind the retreating Chu army, taking advantage of their fatigue as they headed east. Zhang and Chen believed that Han held most of the empire, and the feudal lords all supported it. The Chu army was exhausted, and it was the time when Heaven was abandoning Chu. They suggested, 'It would be better to take advantage of this opportunity!' Liu Bang adopted their suggestions but was defeated by Xiang Yu at Guling and retreated to Chenxia, where he was surrounded by the Chu army... falling into the greatest crisis of the Chu-Han contention."
"Wenlie speaks the truth..." As Cao Xiu finished speaking, Lu Yu gestured for the singers to stop their music. He then slowly stood up and asked, "Since Liu Bang retreated to Chenxia and was surrounded by the Chu army, how did Liu Bang, and not the Hegemon King Xiang Yu, establish the dynasty?"
This...
Cao Xiu, who had diligently studied ancient texts, directly replied, "That is because the reason Liu Bang was defeated by Xiang Yu was that Han Xin and Peng Yue, who had agreed to the alliance, did not dispatch their troops as promised to jointly attack the Chu army. After Liu Bang was surrounded... he adopted Zhang Liang's suggestion and enfeoffed Qi King Han Xin with a vast territory from east of Chen to the sea; Peng Yue was enfeoffed north of Suiyang to Gucheng. Only by doing so did they fully commit their armies to a southern advance. At the same time, he ordered Liu Jia to lead his troops to join forces with Ying Bu, marching north from the Huai region. The five armies jointly launched a final encirclement against Xiang Yu, and the Battle of Gaixia commenced!"
"Precisely!" Lu Yu looked approvingly at Cao Xiu... then turned around, facing the crowd. "When people speak of the Chu-Han contention, they often think of the Battle of Gaixia, the 'Song of the Four Sides,' and the Hegemon King's suicide at Wujiang. But they overlook the fact that Liu Bang united five armies to achieve this victory!"
"Without substantial benefits, would Han Xin, Peng Yue, Liu Jia, and Ying Bu have cooperated with Liu Bang to launch an encirclement? Was Liu Bang alone a match for the Hegemon King of Western Chu? 'He who wins the hearts of the people wins the empire; he who loses the hearts of the people loses the empire' – this is the principle!"
Lu Yu had spoken to this point...
Many of Quanpei's meritorious officials began to understand something.
Cao Hong, however, still foolishly and naively asked, "We are talking about the imperial examinations and our Quanpei people becoming officials today, so how do you connect it to the Battle of Gaixia? How do you connect it to the Hegemon King and Emperor Gaozu of Han?"
"Zilian," Xiahou Dun grabbed Cao Hong, and said earnestly, "What Ziyu is doing is right... Today, Ziyu governs the vast empire. We Quanpei warriors are good at fighting and killing, but when it comes to governing the empire, that is not our forte... But the empire has myriad affairs, how can Ziyu handle it alone? He needs helpers. Shouldn't these helpers be chosen from those pedantic scholars and literati?"
"Yes..." Cao Ren also sighed, "The national treasury requires personnel for its dispatch, agriculture and water conservancy require people, the construction of city walls requires people, and disaster relief and river embankment reinforcement... all these situations require people. For such a large empire, we should think for His Majesty..."
After this reminder... Cao Hong's mind finally processed the implication.
"You mean, if Ziyu wants to use these people, he has to give them carrots to taste the sweetness. Otherwise... if they all pull Liu Bang's leg like Han Xin and Peng Yue, wouldn't that be the end of everything?"
That's precisely the case!
Cao Hong's blunt declaration amused everyone.
"But... at least, you can't let all of us Quanpei people fail, can you?" Cao Hong scratched his head... "To some extent, the imperial examinations... should allow our own people to get ahead. Otherwise... the uncles will lose all face on the streets!"
The words are crude, but the logic is sound...
Lu Yu could feel Cao Hong's concession; he had shifted from his initial intention of holding someone accountable to... making a final plea.
This change in sentiment pleased Lu Yu greatly.
"My uncles," Lu Yu smiled at the crowd, "How could I not consider you all? The previous imperial examinations were just an attempt. The original examinations were meant to proceed from the provincial examinations to the metropolitan examinations, and then to the palace examinations. However, last time, the various commanderies and counties did not have time to implement the provincial examinations... Similarly, according to my original vision, how could there only be civil examinations and no martial examinations?"
Martial examinations?
These two words startled all the Quanpei warriors.
Lu Yu continued, "The civil examinations in the imperial examinations test the Four Books and Five Classics, and the teachings of the sages. The martial examinations are completely opposite, testing weightlifting, archery from horseback and on foot, cavalry lances, and military strategy... In the end, there will also be top scholars, second-place scholars, and third-place scholars..."
Speaking of which...
Lu Yu walked up to Cao Hong, "Uncle Zilian, we cannot compete with those scholarly families and clan lineages in the Four Books and Five Classics, but in martial arts, military strategy, and archery... we should not fall behind, right? Although the martial examinations do not consider background, where would impoverished scholars and clan lineages practice? Without horses, where would they practice riding skills? Without practice grounds and instructors... where would they learn the eighteen martial arts?"
"The scholars who pass the civil examinations can serve as officials in various departments of the imperial court. The scholars who pass the martial examinations can command troops and lead battles... What if those scholars govern the country? Military power will still be firmly in our hands!"
At the end, Lu Yu revealed a meaningful smile...
This smile inexplicably made the heavy burden in the hearts of all the Quanpei warriors instantly lighten.
Martial examinations...
Top martial scholar!
Martial examinations are good...
They were all born as military generals. Competing in the Four Books and Five Classics was naturally not their forte compared to those pedantic scholars. However, in military strategy, weapons, archery, fighting, killing... these, compared to those weak scholars, one of their Quanpei disciples could defeat a hundred of them.
Thinking like this...
It seemed their hearts felt much more balanced.
"Ziyu, you truly are thoughtful!" Xiahou Dun stood up and patted Lu Yu on the shoulder... Although Lu Yu was now the Emperor, he still instinctively treated him as a good brother.
"Gentlemen, you worry too much. Ziyu is thinking of our brothers," Xiahou Yuan also remarked.
Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan... the leaders among the Quanpei meritorious officials. With their endorsement...
This matter... was settled.
Cao Hong seemed to have also figured something out and kept sighing, "Martial examinations are good. Come, my son will sign up for the martial examinations today. I don't believe there's any other family whose disciples understand martial arts better than us Quanpei people!"
Yes...
Throughout history, this world has always been unfair.
Some are born in Rome, while others are born to be cattle and horses...
For common people at the bottom to cross the class divide and become nobles... requires more than just three generations of effort, right?
In this era, in the martial examinations, the disciples of Quanpei meritorious officials have a natural advantage...
These are things that ordinary people cannot compare to.
Of course, at least... during the examinations, it is fair, which can be considered a consolation to this world where "people are not born equal"!
In the rear hall...
After hearing Lu Yu's words and witnessing the change in attitude of these Quanpei noble officials.
Fu Shou sighed repeatedly, "Your husband is truly skilled at winning hearts! Every word is perfectly phrased, making people feel warm..."
Xiahou Juan nodded gently beside her... she was accustomed to others praising her husband.
It was Liu Xue... who looked meaningfully at Fu Shou, mumbling, "Sister Fu said... 'Your husband?' Shouldn't it be... 'Our husband?'"
Uh...
As soon as she said this, Fu Shou was startled... She suddenly realized that this princess of the Han dynasty indeed had a knack for obtaining information! She was a talent worthy of significant use in the court.
...
...
In the land of Bashu, the Heavenly Kingdom, Chengdu Commandery.
At an altar outside the city, everyone was dressed in white mourning clothes, kneeling on the ground... Liu Bei knelt in the foremost position.
It seemed there had been no major figure's death recently... but in Liu Bei's heart, there was no greater sorrow than a dead heart.
Because... Han is gone... Great Han is gone! Da Feng Novel Network
Dong...
With the sound of a bell and chime.
Liu Bei took the lead and shouted loudly:
"Your subject, Liu Bei, bows to the late Han dynasty! Bows to the Han Emperor!"
As the words left his mouth, mournful music began, and Liu Bei's head struck the ground with a clear sound.
"Your Majesty! You have suffered so much..." Liu Bei's voice was filled with grief, "You suffered insults from rebels since childhood, then were controlled by Cao Cao, and finally were usurped by that Cao Yu... and enfeoffed as Duke of Shanyang! The glorious Han dynasty of four hundred years has collapsed in this reign... Revenge is not yet avenged, hatred is not yet resolved. The nation is broken, jade is lost, the universe is in chaos. This is all due to my incompetence!"
"I, as a member of the Han imperial clan, have received Your Majesty's blood decree to attack the rebels and restore the Han. However, after so many years, I have failed to fulfill Your Majesty's wish. I have failed the imperial grace, am unforgivable, and have no face to see the ancestors of the Liu clan!"
Dong...
As these words fell, Liu Bei kowtowed again, and this time the sound was even louder than the last.
"I, Liu Bei, swear to heaven that even though the Han Emperor has been deposed, the Han enterprise still exists. I, Liu Bei... will surely inherit the great enterprise of the Han, eradicate all the rebels in the world, and recreate the Great Han!"
Dong...
Liu Bei was incredibly excited. His eyes were bloodshot, as if blood would burst forth.
But at this moment...
Li Yan of the Dongzhou faction shouted, "Lord Liu, please accept my condolences. How will Lord Liu inherit the great enterprise of the Han?"
This... Liu Bei raised his eyes and gazed at the sky, remaining silent for a long time...
Ten breaths... twenty breaths, thirty breaths...
For a full hundred breaths, Liu Bei remained silent. He seemed to be in some kind of meditation, or perhaps some kind of struggle.
The crowd below also whispered.
"I heard that Commander Zhuge and the envoy sent by the Great Wei, his brother Zhuge Jun, signed a five-year ceasefire agreement between Wei and Shu, and also accepted the title of King of Shu bestowed by the King of Wei... What do you think, did Commander Zhuge know in advance that the Great Wei was going to usurp the throne?"
"If he knew in advance, then Commander Zhuge's actions seem to contradict Lord Liu's mention of eradicating all rebels in the world and 'no coexistence between Han and rebels,' don't they?"
"I also heard that Commander Zhuge agreed to commercial exchanges with Wei... isn't this also..."
"Hush, don't speak carelessly. Commander Zhuge is right in front of you. Are you all tired of your heads?"
As Liu Bei remained silent... these whispers grew louder.
Ma Su whispered a few words into Zhuge Liang's ear...
Zhuge Liang sighed with a "sigh" of helplessness. He looked up at Liu Bei, who was gazing at the sky.
He spoke, "The Son of Heaven of Han has become the Duke of Shanyang. My lord has sworn to heaven that the Han enterprise still exists, but the Han cannot be without a master for a day. Since Cao Cao's rebellious son, Cao Yu, has already usurped the imperial throne, my lord should further inherit the great enterprise of the Han! Ascend to the throne and command the world!"
Zhuge Liang's actions shattered all doubts about him...
And as these words fell...
Li Yan was the first to agree, "Commander Zhuge is right. There is no coexistence between Han and rebels, and a king's enterprise cannot be provincial... My lord can only become Emperor to inherit the great enterprise of the Han!"
Zhao Yun also cupped his hands, "Your subject also requests my lord to ascend the throne!"
Guan Yu and Zhang Fei knelt on Liu Bei's left and right respectively. Zhang Fei grumbled, "Big Brother, even Cao Cao's son dares to claim the throne. Big Brother is a descendant of Zhongshan Jingwang, a great-grandson of Emperor Jing. Big Brother should also ascend the throne, what is there to fear?"
Guan Yu's ever-stoic face became even more serious. "If Big Brother ascends the throne, that would be the great aspiration of all the people in the world, the legitimate lineage of the Han dynasty! Don't you all agree!"
As Guan Yu shouted this...
Everyone shouted in unison, "Your subjects implore my lord to ascend to the imperial throne!"
"Your subjects implore my lord to ascend to the imperial throne!"
"Your subjects implore my lord to ascend to the imperial throne!"
The resounding cheers shook the heavens and earth, deafening and awe-inspiring!
But... facing such a clamor, Liu Bei roared, "Presumptuous!" He turned... and faced the crowd.
"The Han dynasty has just been usurped, and the Han Emperor has been deposed as the Duke of Shanyang. I, Liu Bei, am still in mourning. Do you want to place me in a position of disloyalty and injustice?"
"My lord..." Zhao Yun cupped his hands, "Cao Yu has already usurped the Han and declared himself Emperor. My lord is of the Han imperial lineage and should continue the succession to preserve the Han lineage!"
"Zilong..." Liu Bei looked at Zhao Yun,
"How can I, as a minister of Han, imitate the actions of a rebel?"
"Reporting to my lord..." Zhao Yun continued,
"The Son of Heaven has been deposed. If the King does not succeed to the throne, how can he lead the Heavenly Master to punish the rebels? Are you saying... they will call us, the righteous army, rebels? Rebels?"
Speaking of this... Zhao Yun bowed deeply, "The people of Shu, the people of the world... long for my lord to ascend the throne, like rain in a drought. If my lord is bound by etiquette and hesitates, he will lose popular support!"
This...
Liu Bei hesitated. His gaze swept across Li Yan, Zhuge Liang, Zhao Yun, and every civil and military official.
His heart wavered for a moment, but then he immediately regained his composure.
"Cao Yu usurped the Han and proclaimed himself Emperor, incurring the scorn of the world. Although I am the great-grandson of the Han Emperor, I have neither bestowed favors upon the world nor achieved the merit of eradicating rebels and supporting the Han. If I were to declare myself Emperor, would I not then become another Cao Yu... How would the benevolent and righteous people, officials, and commoners of the four seas view me?"
As the words fell...
Liu Bei realized a terrifying fact.
He had fallen into a "scheme"!
Cao Ziyu was clearly trying to harm him!
...
...