Jinting Han people

In the dead of night, someone knocked on the door, and it was even inside the palace, which surprised Liu Xian quite a bit.

Could it be that something unexpected has happened in the palace, and Sima Yi has summoned him for an urgent discussion? Liu Xian thought to himself, saying, "Please wait a moment," and then he put on his military uniform, tied his hair up simply, quickly put on his hood and deerskin boots, and came to the door.

Upon opening the door, a graceful palace maid stood before him, holding a lantern. She bowed slightly to Liu Xian and said, "Lord Liu, I apologize for disturbing you."

Liu Xian's gaze swept past her, surveying the palace from all sides. Although the Luoyang Palace was brightly lit late at night, it was eerily quiet. Apart from a few guards on duty, there were no pedestrians on the palace paths, suggesting nothing had happened. A sense of unease crept into his heart, and he asked the palace maid, "May I ask who you are, young lady?"

“My humble concubine’s surname is Liu and given name is He. You may call me A-He, my lord.”

"Miss Ahe, is there something you need for my visit so late at night?"

"My Lord, I heard that you entered the palace today. His Highness has some matters he would like to ask you to handle, so he would like to request an audience with you."

Hearing that the person who had invited him late at night was the Empress, Liu Xian was taken aback. In his memory, although the new Empress was not yet twenty, she had always shown a very sensible personality. However, this behavior was clearly overstepping her bounds. Could there be some conspiracy involved? His first reaction was to refuse.

Therefore, Liu Xian said, "It is late tonight. Please report to His Highness that if there is anything else, we can discuss it tomorrow."

Sensing Liu Xian's refusal, Liu He quickly said, "Lord, please don't misunderstand. His Highness is not here for official business, but for some private matters."

"Private matters? These concern the nation; Your Highness probably has no private matters to attend to."

“But it is indeed a private matter, unrelated to His Majesty’s private affairs.”

At this point, Liu Xian roughly understood. Perhaps knowing his high position, the Empress intended to cultivate a good relationship with him and promote the younger generation of the Yang family. This was quite normal. Liu Xian had also interacted with Yang Xuanzhi, the Empress's father, a few times. Frankly, Yang Xuanzhi wasn't a particularly talented or virtuous person; he was even somewhat cowardly. However, in times of crisis, he at least wouldn't be fickle. For this reason alone, it was indeed worthwhile to cultivate a good relationship with him.

Thinking this, Liu Xian's expression softened. He said to Liu He, "Please wait a moment, young lady. Since we are meeting Her Majesty the Empress, my attire is hasty and disrespectful."

Having said that, he went back to his room to tidy his hair, put on his military cap, and then went out with Liu He. The two left the province and took a detour, not going directly to the Taiji Hall where the emperor resided, but instead passing through the East Zhonghua Gate and then turning north. That was not the direction of the palace, but the royal Xiyou Garden. Apart from maids and eunuchs, ordinary palace guards were not allowed to enter this area without the emperor's decree.

Liu He said to Liu Xian, "His Majesty has already fallen asleep. His Highness does not wish to disturb him and will wait for you at Tingfeng Temple."

Listening to the Wind Pavilion is located in the northeast corner of the Journey to the West Garden, a pavilion overlooking Tianyuan Pond. Tonight, the night is clear, and the crescent moon shines like a hook, reflecting a layer of frost-like moonlight onto the pond. The willows by the pond have not yet sprouted buds, and several crows perch on their branches, cawing. Liu Xian approaches Listening to the Wind Pavilion and sees dozens of plum trees planted around the pavilion; the white and red plum blossoms have quietly bloomed, filling the cool air with a hazy, delicate fragrance.

Several palace maids stood in front of the temple gate, seemingly whispering among themselves. But when they saw Liu Xian arrive, they quickly shut their mouths and bowed to him. However, their gazes were strange, making Liu Xian, who was being stared at, feel extremely uncomfortable.

Upon entering the temple, Liu Xian unfastened the sword from his waist and handed it to a maid, then removed his boots and went inside. Reaching the third floor, he saw a curtain drawn across the hall. Taking a few steps closer, he could vaguely make out the silhouette of a young woman. Liu Xian knew that was the Empress. He bowed to her, saying, "Your subject Liu Xian greets Your Majesty the Empress. Long live Your Majesty!"

Upon seeing this, the Empress quickly raised her hand to signal Liu He to lead Liu Xian to sit down on the left side.

After Liu Xian looked up, the Empress ordered a maid to serve wine, and then said, "Last time, Lord Liu entered the palace to escort me and His Majesty, fighting bloody battles, and I haven't had a chance to express my gratitude. I've been wanting to find a time to thank you, but I heard that you are busy with official duties, so I didn't want to disturb you. Tonight, I learned that Lord Liu has entered the palace. Although it is an inconvenience, it is finally an opportunity. I hope Lord Liu will not take offense."

Liu Xian drank the imperial wine and replied, "In this critical moment, it is already fortunate that Your Highness did not find my abruptness offensive. How can you blame me?"

A clear, light laugh came from behind the curtain, and the Empress said, "I have heard of your reputation since I was a child. People in Luoyang say that you are the most unruly person in Luoyang. Even Empress Jia and Jia Mi cannot make you bow down. I did not expect you to speak so humbly."

Liu Xian said self-deprecatingly, "Your Highness is too kind. I don't like to ask for trouble. It's just that my teacher taught me that a gentleman has things he will do and things he will not do."

"Now that your teacher has seen this day, he must be very happy for the Prefect."

Are you happy? Liu Xian thought of Chen Shou's will. He didn't want him to continue fighting in the officialdom, but rather to manage the family well. But he had gone against his wishes and had come to this point. There was no turning back; it was either gain everything or lose everything. Thinking of this, Liu Xian just laughed twice, made a few casual self-deprecating remarks, and brushed the topic aside.

Xianrong had only said it casually, and she quickly changed the subject, asking Liu Xian, "Lord, I was born and raised in Luoyang, and after marrying His Majesty, I have never left the palace. Since you have been to Guanzhong and Longyou, and also to Hebei, and are well-traveled and knowledgeable, could you tell me more about the world outside of Luoyang?"

As Empress, Yang Xianrong adopted a very humble posture, and her words were indeed endearing, making it impossible for Liu Xian to refuse. Having been through similar experiences, he understood the feeling of being imprisoned, and so he casually struck up a conversation. Having lived for thirty years, Liu Xian certainly had plenty to talk about. He had traveled across much of the land, seen famous mountains and rivers, and encountered extraordinary people and events. He was well-versed in the culture, geography, and history of different places, and he also possessed some knowledge of music and literature. He could talk for days and nights without repeating himself.

Before this, Yang Xianrong had only ever glanced at Liu Xian from afar; this was the first time she had such a long conversation with him. She had always admired Liu Xian's many achievements, but during this casual chat, she unexpectedly discovered that he was not the ambitious and ruthless official the rumors of the aristocratic families portrayed him as, but rather a refined and gentle traditional scholar. Recalling his heroic figure in battle on the night of the coup, Xianrong was even more delighted and fond of him. She thought to herself: This is what a true man should be like.

So at the banquet, she frequently ordered the maids to serve her wine, to show her favor.

After chatting for about half an hour, Xianrong finally said, "Yesterday, His Highness the Prince of Changsha suggested to His Majesty that you, my lord, be appointed as General of the Guards and Attendant-in-Ordinary. It seems that I will have to ask you to take good care of me in the future."

Liu Xian thought to himself, "Finally, they're getting down to business." He said, "This is all my duty. Please rest assured, Your Highness. As long as it's within my responsibilities and doesn't affect the overall situation, I will do my best to fulfill your request."

After a moment of silence, Yang Xianrong said to the maids beside her, "You may all leave." Once the maids had gone downstairs, she lifted the curtain, revealing her beautiful face, and looked at Liu Xian with affectionate eyes. Her sudden action startled Liu Xian, who quickly bowed and asked, "What are your orders, Your Highness?"

Yang Xianrong stared at him for a moment and asked, "May I ask, Your Excellency, whose fault do you think it is that the world has fallen into such chaos today?"

This was a sensitive question. After a moment's thought, Liu Xian replied with the most impeccable words: "Of course it's the fault of those treacherous officials."

Yang Xianrong smiled slightly and shook his head, saying, "Why does Your Excellency speak in official jargon? Everyone knows it is His Majesty's fault."

These words came out of nowhere and were so treasonous that they caught Liu Xian off guard. He was shocked but did not know how to respond. He could only raise his eyes to look at the Empress, trying to discern her thoughts.

Unexpectedly, the moment their eyes met, Liu Xian instinctively gasped for breath. Those eyes, which he had mistakenly thought could ripple with affection, were not flowing with romantic waves at this moment; beneath their seemingly innocent faces lay an unstoppable karmic fire.

Xianrong held a round fan, half-concealing her beautiful face, and said, "Since the Han and Wei dynasties, the world has experienced cycles of order and chaos, which have become a pattern. When the ruler is strong and the ministers are weak, the world is stable; when the ruler is weak and the ministers are strong, rebellions and schemes arise everywhere."

“Throughout history, looking at precedents where ministers assisted in governing and the world did not descend into chaos, it was always because the emperor was young. The ministers only needed to wait until the emperor came of age and assumed personal rule, and everything would return to normal.” “But Your Majesty is not young. He is pure of heart. As long as he remains on the throne, the ministers who assist in governing can do whatever they want without any scruples. How can this not incite the greed of ordinary people, leading them to attempt to disrupt the government and usurp the throne?”

Her remarks were not without merit, especially considering that after Sima Yu's death, there were dozens of potential successors to the throne. The presence of so many influential members of the imperial clan further exacerbated this division. Liu Xian understood this, but his question remained: why would this young empress say such a thing?

He could only reply, "Your Highness, this is not something a subject should discuss."

Xianrong said, "I only want to ask you, Lord Prefect, are you a loyal subject?"

"This..." Liu Xian smiled wryly, he had a rough idea of ​​what the empress was going to say.

"If we want to end this period of war and restore the peace of previous years, His Majesty must take personal control of the government. Don't you think so, Lord?"

"But that's impossible..."

"Why not?" Xianrong smiled and said sweetly, "I am His Majesty's wife. I can help His Majesty, can't I?"

"Empress Dowager is so tyrannical and cruel, yet she still maintained peace for ten years. Although I am not as virtuous as Empress He Xi and Empress Deng, I am sure I have some knowledge of politics. If I could have a wise minister like you, Lord Prefect, to assist me, what is wrong with restoring order to the world?"

"May I ask, Your Excellency, are you a loyal subject?"

The Empress's intense gaze made Liu Xian uneasy. Before coming here, he could never have imagined that he would be dragged into such a huge trouble: this young Empress, not yet twenty, actually harbored political ambitions to eliminate the princes and seize power for herself!

This young empress is far too naive. Politics is, of course, about titles and positions, and from that perspective, she certainly has more power to rule as regent than any of the other princes. But power doesn't come from nowhere; it requires strength. After several coups, the princes have already gained real power over military garrisons across the land. They will certainly not obey the young empress's orders, and if they try to seize real power, they will be attacked by all of them.

Moreover, judging from the Empress's words, she seems to want to deal with Sima Yi first! Isn't that absurd? The reason she has been able to secure her current position as Empress is because Lady Yang chose Sima Yi; she herself doesn't even have any close confidants. If she were to break with the Changsha Prince's faction, wouldn't it be incredibly easy for Sima Yi to depose her and install a new Empress?

The awkward part is that Liu Xian cannot afford to fall out with the empress.

He sighed deeply and solemnly said to the Empress, "Your Highness, was I the first to hear what you just said?"

Yang Xianrong blinked, then laughed like a silver bell, and said, "Of course, Lord Fu is the person I value most."

"I am deeply grateful for Your Highness's favor," Liu Xian said slowly. "But I hope that I am also the last to hear this."

"why?"

"This is for Your Highness's sake," Liu Xian said frankly to Xian Rong without any reservations. "I will keep it a secret for Your Highness, but if it were someone else, it's hard to say. There could be great chaos."

"utter chaos..."

"If anyone tells the General of the Flying Cavalry what Your Highness said, the General of the Flying Cavalry will depose Your Highness, and Your Highness will be banished back to Jinyong City."

"..."

"The King of Hejian and the King of Chengdu will use the pretext of the General of the Cavalry deposing the Empress to lead their troops to attack Luoyang. At that time, the people will suffer and the land will be littered with corpses."

"..."

"And the General of Chariots and Cavalry, in order to eliminate future troubles, will order Your Highness to commit suicide, just as Emperor Jing of Han ordered the death of Chao Cuo. Is this the ending Your Highness desires?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Xianrong's eyes widened, and she tilted her head as if she didn't quite understand, saying, "Your Excellency seems not to understand that I came to you not to mock you."

"I am not mocking you," Liu Xian emphasized. "Your Highness, I dare not say that Your Highness's idea is impossible to realize, after all, nothing in this world is absolute. But if you want it to be realized, I am too foolish to know where to begin. Perhaps only fate and miracles can tell."

"I know."

Yang Xianrong took off her fan and said rather willfully, "Of course I understand that this is not easy. But does Your Excellency know that when I was born, Master Zhang told my fate and said that I have a destiny."

"Destiny?"

"I was born with the destiny of an empress, and my husband will surely be the true Son of Heaven."

Liu Xian had heard this legend, but he didn't believe such nonsense. He frowned and looked at the Empress, asking, "Your Highness, so what?"

Yang Xianrong suddenly stood up, walked to Liu Xian, and pressed her beautiful yet stubborn face close to his. Her brow bone was slender and resolute, but the angle was soft, blending two completely opposite qualities of innocence and melancholy together.

She said, "The reason I chose you, Lord Prefect, is because I believe that you are a rare and great man in the world, and that you will surely overcome all difficulties and achieve an unprecedented feat."

"I am willing to pay any price to gain your assistance, Lord."

As they spoke, the Empress suddenly grabbed Liu Xian's hand and guided it to her right cheek. The girl's skin was as soft as water, almost delicate, and her complexion was as clear as snow, displaying a magnificent color under the moonlight and firelight.

Yang Xianrong smiled and exhaled softly, "This price even includes... myself." (End of Chapter)