When Wei Yan mentioned, "The generals have followed the Lord in battle for many years, with no fixed abode. They also long for the Lord to inherit the orthodox imperial succession!"
At this moment, Liu Bei was enraged!
"Well, all of you... you speak so freely! I know your intentions as soon as I hear them!"
"You want me to proclaim myself Emperor... it's nothing more than you wanting to be enfeoffed! If that's the case, I absolutely cannot proclaim myself Emperor!"
Liu Bei felt a dizziness in his head, and he touched his forehead.
"Regarding the matter of proclaiming myself Emperor, I, would rather die than comply!"
With these words, a great sense of dizziness struck him...
With the sounds of "thud," "thud," Liu Bei collapsed.
...
...
In Liu Bei's bedchamber, the curtains were low, and the light was dim. Liu Bei, with a feverish bandage around his head, looked pained.
Ever since his return from the ritual that day... he had been in this state.
The doctors were all helpless. Wu Yi's sister, the current Princess of Shu, Lady Wu, sat by the bedside, weeping softly.
Father Gan, Mother Gan, and Adou stood nearby. The physician said leisurely, "The King of Shu's illness is not an external one, but a heart ailment... External ailments are easily cured, but a heart ailment is difficult to treat!"
Just then...
Zhuge Liang slowly entered. The attendants at the door quickly bowed.
Liu Bei seemed to have noticed Zhuge Liang's arrival and slowly propped himself up from the sickbed.
"Kongming, you are here..."
"My Lord..." Zhuge Liang quickly took Liu Bei's hand, "My Lord should rest more in your current condition!"
Speaking of this...
Zhuge Liang asked the physicians nearby, "What is my Lord's illness? Is it so severe?"
The physicians dared not speak...
Liu Bei patted his chest, "My chest feels like it's being crushed by a stone, a heavy burden that is hard to bear!"
With these words, Zhuge Liang understood, he comprehended... He supported Liu Bei... to let Liu Bei lie more comfortably, and said softly, "Has my Lord heard of Hua Xin?"
"I know!" Liu Bei said, "He was a key minister in the founding of Wei. He presided over the abdication of the Son of Heaven. Every detail... it was he who busied himself with Cao Ziyu's usurpation, truly the chief villain in the usurpation of Han! But... after Cao Yu succeeded to the throne, he implemented the system of three departments and six ministries, and the first to be appointed was Hua Xin, enfeoffed as a high official in the Ministry of Rites, equivalent to the former Chancellor. I never thought... such a person... could reach the pinnacle of ministerial service!"
As Liu Bei's voice fell...
Zhuge Liang continued to persuade, "In the past, Hua Xin and Guan Ning studied together. When a high official passed by on horseback, Guan Ning continued reading, but Hua Xin abandoned his book and went out to watch. When he returned, Guan Ning was seen to have cut open their shared mat with a knife, saying, 'You are not my friend, I sever our ties!'"
"What a resolute severing of ties..." Liu Bei's eyes slowly opened, "Everyone knows this story... I also deeply admire Guan Ning's act of severing ties!"
"But..." Zhuge Liang changed the subject, "Now, Hua Xin's carriage and robes are far more magnificent and imposing than what he saw back then, while Guan Ning is still reading... utterly impoverished, with no official title!"
Speaking of this, Zhuge Liang sighed, "My Lord, between Hua Xin and Guan Ning... who is superior and who is inferior?"
"Hua Xin is a villain, Guan Ning is a gentleman!" Liu Bei's tone was resolute.
"Then how do I compare to Hua Xin?" Zhuge Liang continued to ask.
"My strategist's talents are ten times his!" Liu Bei's tone was firm, "The difference is as vast as heaven and earth. Kongming is the bright sun, while Hua Xin is not even comparable to the lingering twilight!" "But Hua Xin could preside over the grand ceremony of the usurper Cao Yu's enthronement, and hold a high ministerial position... yet you refuse to allow me, who upholds the orthodox Han lineage, to preside over your enthronement ceremony!" Zhuge Liang's words became increasingly earnest, "My Lord... even if Hua Xin is a villain, Cao Yu is not... his presumptuous ascension is a wise move... This is an overt stratagem, a psychological attack, attacking the hearts of the Shu generals, attacking the hearts of the ministers under your command, causing the Shu generals to lose their faith and their motivation to advance!"
Speaking of this...
Zhuge Liang slowly rose, his eyes filled with tears. He looked up at the ten characters still hanging before Liu Bei's sickbed: "There is no coexistence between Han and rebels, and the royal cause cannot be confined to one corner."
Zhuge Liang sighed, "There is no coexistence between Han and rebels... But my Lord, there is no longer a Han, so where are the Han rebels? For whom do you want the soldiers to fight? If my Lord wishes to inherit the imperial enterprise of the Han Dynasty and to rekindle faith in the hearts of the soldiers, then... you must proclaim yourself Emperor!"
By the end... Zhuge Liang's grip on Liu Bei's hand tightened.
Liu Bei, however, looked at Zhuge Liang and softly murmured, "Kongming, I have something I wish to ask you..."
"My Lord, please ask anything."
"Did you know, before advising me to sign the five-year armistice agreement with Great Wei, that Cao Yu would presumptuously proclaim himself Emperor?" Liu Bei's eyes became exceedingly serious.
This...
Zhuge Liang paused, "So, it is this question. Why didn't my Lord ask me sooner? I did indeed learn from my third brother that Cao Yu would take the step of presumptuously proclaiming himself Emperor, but I did not expect it to be so soon. And after much thought, whether it was my Lord, or Shu, or myself, we were powerless to stop it. If my Lord had known in advance about Cao Yu's usurpation, then the five-year truce would likely have been stillborn, and that... that is the great disaster for Bashu!"
Hearing this, Liu Bei's eyes gradually opened.
He understood Zhuge Liang's words very well...
"To oppose the world with a single province, whether now or in five years... it seems very difficult!" Liu Bei lamented.
"Therefore..." Zhuge Liang continued to persuade, "Only after the five-year truce can I dare to advise my Lord to proclaim himself Emperor, and it is imperative that you do so. If my Lord does not proclaim himself Emperor, then there will only be one Emperor in the world – Cao Yu! Because the Han court no longer exists! If my Lord shuns merit for righteousness and does not ascend to the imperial throne, then over time, all talented individuals who yearn to achieve success will defect to Cao Yu, and even the talents of our Bashu may not be retained! Who then... who would defect to a rebel without any hesitation?"
Zhuge Liang's words were heavy, but they were the truth!
Upon hearing this, Liu Bei sat up, his brow covered in cold sweat.
Zhuge Liang then sighed, "My Lord, you are not ill at all... Your illness is merely this knot in your heart! Five years... five years can bring about many changes, change many people. At the very least, let our Shu Han... let Han continue for another five years!"
Meaningfully!
Earnestly!
Finally...
After a full quarter of an hour of contemplation, Liu Bei finally nodded heavily.
"I... believe my strategist. I will proclaim myself Emperor!"
...
Three days later.
At the same altar outside Chengdu, the officials of Shu were assembled.
Thousands of armored soldiers stood sternly.
Li Yan read from a high platform: "Emperor Bei herewith proclaims to the heavens and earth, the Han Dynasty has ruled the world, its legacy boundless. The rebel Cao Yu has usurped the Han and deposed the ruler, stealing the sacred regalia. Bei, as a descendant of the imperial family, hereby reports to the ancestors of the imperial lineage. Heaven's will cannot be defied, the imperial enterprise cannot collapse, the world cannot be without a ruler. Bei obeys the will of heaven and the desires of the people, accepts the imperial seal, and pacifies the four seas. May the divine steed ascend in the Han family, and the four seas submit..."
After the proclamation...
Liu Bei, facing the great cauldron, clasped his hands and knelt. The imperial crown's tassels touched the ground. Liu Bei picked up the Imperial Seal, forged for him by Zhuge Liang.
"Long live my Emperor, long live, long live!"
"Long live my Emperor, long live, long live!"
A thunderous roar...
As the clamor subsided, Liu Bei turned to face everyone and declared, "Today, I issue the first edict of the Han Dynasty of Shu: for five years, we shall prepare troops and horses. In five years, we shall march north from Jian'ge and east from Yiling to attack Cao Wei! We shall reclaim the glorious mountains and rivers of the Han!"
"As you command!"
All the ministers shouted in unison.
...
...
In the hall, gift boxes were displayed, and Father Gan was receiving Zhao Yun.
Zhao Yun handed a rescript to Father Gan. "His Majesty has decreed that Lady Gan is His Majesty's first wife and bore His Majesty a son. Although she transformed into a butterfly, she still protected the Han Dynasty! His Majesty posthumously bestows upon Lady Gan the title of Empress Hsiang and Empress Zhaolie. From today onwards... Uncle becomes the father of the nation!"
Zhao Yun was quite busy today...
In addition to posthumously bestowing the titles of Empress Hsiang and Empress Zhaolie upon Lady Gan, Liu Bei issued a series of edicts. He enfeoffed Zhuge Liang as Prime Minister, Li Yan as Minister of Personnel, Guan Yu as Grand General, Zhang Fei as General of Chariots and Cavalry, Zhao Yun as General of Flying Cavalry, and Wei Yan as General of Yi Jun, even bestowing upon them the title "Four Tiger Generals"...
In addition, the elder faction members like Mi Zhu, Mi Fang, Sun Qian, Jian Yong;
The Eastern Province faction members like Fa Zheng, Zhang Song;
The Jing Province faction members like Ma Liang, Ma Su, Xiang Lang, Liu Feng, all received promotions.
However, it was unexpected that... Father Gan, due to Lady Gan, was enfeoffed as the father of the nation... Perhaps, this was also to appease the elder faction members!
After all... Lady Gan had followed Liu Bei since Xu Province and bore him a son.
Transforming into a butterfly... interpreted from another perspective, it was a beautiful omen!
"I really can't understand why Lu Ziyu would have us help Liu Bei proclaim himself Emperor?" Father Gan led Zhao Yun to the study, dismissed the servants, and asked.
"It was the order of the Military Intelligence Division to have Liu Bei ascend the throne..." Zhao Yun looked around, rechecked, and after confirming there were no ears listening through the walls, he said softly, "The Military Intelligence Division is an agency under the Department of Records, and the Department of Records is directly commanded by Cao Ziyu. There's no mistake!"
"I know there's no mistake, I'm just puzzled..." Father Gan still looked incredulous... "Liu Bei has always had ambitions. If there were no five-year truce, he would definitely not dare to proclaim himself Emperor. But under this five-year truce... why is this?"
This question had troubled Father Gan for a long time...
He had pondered it for a long time but could not find an answer.
Zhao Yun hesitated for a moment, "Perhaps, this is like drinking two glasses of poisoned wine... The five-year truce has broken Liu Bei's slogan of 'There is no coexistence between Han and rebels.' Kongming and the ministers' persuasion is giving Liu Bei new hope... and also giving this land of Bashu peace and tranquility!"
Speaking of this...
Zhao Yun slowly stood up, "Uncle, don't overthink it. Cao Ziyu is Yin Lin... In all these years, every move he makes has been precise, his strategies infallible... This time, he must have his own plan!"
Father Gan also stood up, "I hope so..."
He stroked his beard, "I am old, I only wish... to see my daughter one more time. I wonder where my daughter is living now, after the King of Wei retired?"
This...
Zhao Yun said softly, "The most pressing matter, Uncle, is to focus on Adou. In five years... Adou will not be young! During this time, we must find a way to tell him his true identity and the truth!"
Sigh...
Father Gan exhaled. Things... seemed not to be that simple after all!
...
...
In Luoyang City, within the imperial palace of the Dragon Hall and Phoenix Palace, dark clouds obscured the sun.
On the palace steps, Xu Chu, the commander of the Tiger Guards, led a squad of soldiers, escorting a eunuch directly into the palace.
The young eunuchs panicked, and asked shrilly, "Xu... General Xu Chu, what... what is the meaning of this?"
"A Shu spy has been apprehended. Make way! I am going to report to His Majesty!" Xu Chu's words were cold...
The young eunuchs quickly made way!
At the same time...
In a palace hall...
"Sister Fu, after I obtained the information, I placed trusted maids in the imperial palace. Under the guise of getting close to that eunuch and becoming his 'duìshì' (a practice where palace women form partnerships with eunuchs), when he was drunk... I coaxed out of him that this eunuch was a spy sent by Zhuge Liang... and then I reported the news to General Xu Chu of the Tiger Guards..."
The speaker was Princess Wannian, Liu Xue...
Having grown up in the imperial palace, gathering intelligence within the palace was something she could do with ease.
This also allowed her to enter the fray first and become Lu Yu's most capable subordinate in Que Men.
Fu Shou looked at Liu Xue, who was reporting gracefully before her, and smiled sweetly, "Princess, you have done very well. His Majesty has only been on the throne for three months... at this time, Shu will surely dispatch a large number of spies to ascertain information about His Majesty. Princess, you must not slacken... This spy is the first, but by no means the last..."
After praising Liu Xue...
Fu Shou turned her face towards the others in Que Men, Sun Shangxiang, Ma Yunlu, Lü Lingqi, Zhang Qiying... as well as Da Qiao, Xiao Qiao, Diao Chan...
These originally delicate women, because of the existence of Que Men, had become the eyes of Emperor Lu Yu, monitoring officials and controlling the empire.
"Indeed..."
Sun Shangxiang sighed, "Women are the easiest to make people complacent... and the easiest to obtain the information needed..."
Having witnessed Liu Xue's entire process of gathering intelligence and apprehending spies, Lü Lingqi's heart was also filled with emotion. "This is the meaning of Que Men's existence, isn't it..."
"This is so good..." Ma Yunlu patted her chest, "Rather than being a decorative vase that can only be admired but is useless, I, this young lady, prefer this kind of action!"
Clearly... Sun Shangxiang, Ma Yunlu, and Lü Lingqi were all those who were not afraid of trouble...
Diao Chan, on the other hand, had considerable experience...
Ever since she had worked to support the Han Dynasty and create discord between Lü Bu and Dong Zhu, she had understood... that in many matters, women often found it easier and more effective to achieve their goals than men!
In the final analysis, a woman's delicate appearance... can easily deceive the enemy and make them complacent...
"Next, we will deploy those trained confidantes throughout the empire?" Diao Chan asked gracefully...
Fu Shou nodded, "The deployment in Jiangdong will be handled by Shangxiang, from Lujiang to Nanyang will be the responsibility of Da and Xiao Qiao, the Princess will be in charge of the palace and Sili as usual, Yunlu will closely monitor the movements of the various warlords in Xiliang, and... Lingqi, Xuzhou will be yours!"
Every detail...
Fu Shou meticulously explained the areas where each person was to place their informants.
As for those so-called "confidantes"... they were all meticulously selected from female soldiers, female disciples of the Five Dou Rice School, and orphaned girls. Fu Shou would hire doctors from the Imperial Academy's College of Classics to teach them music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and songs. She would also invite court ladies to cultivate their presence and etiquette, and even madam procuresses to train them in approaching men and pleasing men.
These girls' families were taken care of by Que Men, so there was no need to worry about their loyalty!
This was the direction of Que Men that Fu Shou had painstakingly devised, and it was also the direction that could best help their husbands, Lu Yu.
But...
In the entire deployment, only Zhang Qiying's arrangement was missing.
"Sister Fu, do you not trust me?" As expected, Zhang Qiying asked doubtfully. "Why is it that all the noble consorts have their responsibilities, but you haven't assigned anything to me? Sister Fu, why haven't you assigned me anything?"
Hearing this...
Fu Shou raised her eyes to look at her, "Because... your task is the most important!"
"My husband is the Son of Heaven, an Emperor, a benevolent ruler. But behind a benevolent ruler... there needs to be an underground force to eradicate all injustice! Que Men is for this, and you... are of utmost importance!"
...
....
Milk Candy Candy Candy reminds you: Remember to collect after reading.