Tiger Guards

Chapter 629 Mutual Revenge
"Vicious woman!"

Xudu, Beigong.

Before Emperor Liu Xie had even finished reading the "Imperial Edict Granting the Right to Rule the Country, Serve the King, and Punish Traitorous Ministers," he couldn't help but feel indignant and angrily cursed it out.

Upon hearing the sound, the eunuchs and palace maids standing nearby all squatted down, bowing their heads tightly, their noses almost touching their knees, as if by lowering their heads they could neither hear the emperor's angry outburst nor see his disheveled appearance.

After Liu Xie finished his angry rant, he took several deep breaths to barely maintain his composure. He then prepared to read the edict again, but he couldn't bear to look at it any longer. He rolled up the finely copied edict on silk, smashed it under his feet, and trampled on it.

It was as if only in this way could he vent his anger.

This edict issued by Empress Dowager Fu, the regent, was a direct punch to Liu Xie's back.

Although he didn't particularly like the various Liu kings and marquises in different regions, as well as the numerous branches of the imperial clan, it was precisely because the Liu clan was so widespread that he, the emperor, appeared to be the ruler of the entire world.

Liu Xie was so angry that he was panting heavily. At this moment, the Grand Chamberlain Shi Qian strode over, and the other eunuchs and palace maids also bowed their heads, stood up, and filed out.

Inside the not-so-large hall, Liu Xie staggered back a few steps to the low couch by the table, where he slumped down: "The entire Fu family was executed, and now she wants to exterminate my Liu family..."

Shi Qian was unaware of the details. Upon seeing this, he stepped forward, picked up the silk scroll from the ground, and knew the content of the edict just by glancing at the title.

Perhaps the other party used such a long and straightforward title for the edict in order to speed up its dissemination.

Shi Qian immediately sensed the Empress's malice; she seemed intent on exterminating the Liu clan.

The local kings and nobles were used to being poor and aggrieved... but if they had the chance to gain power, they would definitely be willing to gamble; how could the warlords, county officials, and powerful figures who had bullied the royal family and kings dare to gamble on whether these kings and nobles would dare to gamble?

They were inherently adversaries and competitors, and there was no concept of a chain of suspicion between them. Once the various Liu kings and marquises in different regions gained power, they were bound to seek revenge!
Every region has its triumphant powerful families, and naturally there are also impoverished scholars from humble backgrounds who have fallen on hard times. If these people cannot reach the threshold of the Empress Dowager or the Zhao family, can't they turn to the down-on-their-luck Liu family members next door?

Shi Qian originally wanted to offer some words of comfort and advice to the emperor, but after receiving the empress's edict, he lost the courage to even open his mouth.

Now the problem is facing Liu Xie. If you are not being held hostage by the court officials, you should order all sides to stop the war, then reorganize the court by selecting virtuous and capable officials. As the country is well-governed, order is restored, and the people become prosperous, the rumors spread by the Empress Dowager will be exposed, and the reasons she used to assume the regency in an emergency will also be untenable.

But did Liu Xie have that kind of influence? Did he have the ability to reorganize the court and bring order to the prefectures and counties under his jurisdiction?
Even now, the Xu Du court has issued an edict similar to that of the regent empress, allowing local kings and marquises to govern their kingdoms and marquisates, just as they did in the early Han dynasty.

This would also dispel the accusations of the Empress Dowager and prove to the world that the Emperor of Xudu being held hostage by treacherous officials was purely a malicious rumor.

But would Liu Xie dare to issue such an edict?
He dares to make this imperial edict leave Xuchang?

Not only could he not do it, but in order to stabilize the coalition against Zhao, he even issued an edict to strip the Liu kings and marquises of their titles... King and Marquis titles!
Only by acting swiftly and decisively can the possibility of the Liu kings and nobles rebelling and seizing power be eliminated.

In that case, not only would the common people outside the imperial family be greatly dissatisfied, but the various Liu clans in different regions would also be extremely dissatisfied. They would deeply believe the Empress Dowager's side of the story and firmly believe that the Emperor of Xuchang had been held hostage by treacherous officials.

These treacherous officials refused to reward the Grand Marshal for his merits, tricked the Grand General into leaving Luodu, and then suddenly launched an attack, taking the emperor hostage and attempting to disrupt the country.

With the eldest son being young, the empress had no choice but to oversee state affairs in order to safeguard the Han dynasty.

Fu Wan, the Grand Chancellor, Assistant General, and Father-in-law of the Emperor, refused to associate with the treacherous officials and was executed along with his entire family when he fled.

Everything makes sense now. As long as Xudu issues an edict abolishing the fiefdoms of kings and marquises, all the Liu families in the country will definitely think the same way!

However, if such a heartless edict is not issued, these feudal lords and kings will surely seize power, and what awaits them is the bloody suppression by the coalition forces from all over the country to fight against Zhao!
As long as the throne or marquisate still exists, even if you kill the entire family of a king or marquis, their nephews or distant nephews will still have the right to inherit.

When the feudal lords were still alive, the local villains only needed to be wary of and guard against the feudal lords' families; but if the feudal lords were killed, then the feudal lords' close relatives and distant relatives with the same surname would all have the right to inherit the throne, and more and more people would dare to rebel!
Unless the Liu clan, which claims various titles and ranks of nobility, is completely eradicated.

Otherwise, with the continued killings, even if the Liu clans in various regions are only trying to protect themselves, they will have no choice but to participate in the power grab!
Liu Xie felt utterly powerless, as if boundless fear had enveloped him, and even his body was filled with a sense of fear and helplessness.

It felt as if he were being chewed up by the gaping maw of an abyss, and he could only grit his teeth and silently endure it.

Fu Wan felt only satisfaction at the massacre of his entire family, but regretted that the Empress was still alive outside.

But now a similar fate has befallen him, and even before it has erupted, he finds it hard to accept and is extremely distressed.

Although he had no emotional ties with the various Liu clans across the land, he dared not imagine how harshly the previous emperors would treat him if his clan were to be wiped out as a result. He also dared not imagine how future historians would portray him; he feared he would be no better than Hu Hai or Emperor Xin.

After a long while, they realized that the hall was empty.

Liu Xie slowly rose and turned to look at Shi Qian: "What is it, sir?"

"Your Majesty, the Right Chancellor, Lord Yang, requests an audience."

"I am tired. Tell Lord Yang that we will discuss this matter again tomorrow. There is no need to worry."

Liu Xie's voice was slightly hoarse. He had just received the imperial edict from the other party, and Yang Biao should have received the edict at the same time or even sooner than him.

Thinking of Yang Biao's anxious and sweaty appearance, Liu Xie couldn't help but smile bitterly.

He truly hadn't expected the Empress to be so ruthless, cruel, and harsh towards him.

If Fu Wan hadn't run away, he wouldn't have been able to, and wouldn't have, dealt such a cruel blow to Fu Wan.

If Fu Wan were to run to Zhao's side, the imperial court would be in an even more passive position.

To prevent the traitors Zhao and Lü from distorting the truth, Liu Xie had no choice but to take drastic measures to intercept and kill Fu Wan's entire family, cutting off not only his own escape route but also the escape route of the officials in Xudu.

I never expected that this lowly servant Fu Shou would be so arrogant and ruthless, showing no fear of the imperial bloodline and even trying to use others to kill people and cut off the livelihoods of the Liu family and princes in various places.

Thinking of the hardships they had endured together in the past, Liu Xie lowered his head and two large, glistening tears fell to the ground.

But his expression remained unchanged; he only felt a sense of sadness instinctively.

If Fu Shou were to appear before him, he would surely draw his sword and stab repeatedly until he had turned Fu Shou into a bloody mess.

Realizing he was crying, Liu Xie turned to look at Shi Qian.

But her eyes were misty, making it hard to see clearly, so she rolled up her sleeves to wipe them away.

After wiping away the tears in his eyes, he saw Shi Qian walking slowly away with his back to him, without making a sound.

Shi Qian walked out of the palace and onto the outer corridor, his whole body drenched in sweat.

Still with a stern face, he walked past the Tiger Guards and Feather Guards on duty, head held high and chest out, his steps swift and confident.

Walking around to the outer hall corridor, Shi Qian bowed slightly to Yang Biao, who was the Right Chancellor, and said, "Prime Minister, His Majesty has decreed that this matter is of great importance and cannot be rushed. We will discuss it again tomorrow."

Yang Biao's face darkened slightly, and he looked furious: "Doesn't the Grand Chamberlain have anything else to say?"

Shi Qian held the title of Grand Chamberlain, but his actual job was that of a Palace Attendant. However, the reputation of the Palace Attendant was so bad that no one dared to hire him.

Upon hearing this, Shi Qian still bowed slightly: "Prime Minister, I am a palace attendant and should not concern myself with state affairs."

"Humph!"

Yang Biao snorted coldly and turned to leave. He wanted to force his way in, but none of the Tiger Guards or Feather Guards on duty dared to stop him.

When Zhao Ji and Lü Bu forced their way in, the Imperial Guards and Tiger Warriors did not stop them.

Although the Imperial Guards and the Tiger Guards have been replaced, Yang Biao is still the Prime Minister. Given his character, if he were to force his way in, the Imperial Guards and the Tiger Guards wouldn't dare to stop him, because Yang Biao wouldn't do anything to harm the Emperor.

If it were Liu Bei... the Imperial Guards and Tiger Warriors would dare to draw their swords and stop him!
There's no other reason. Liu Bei's military strength was not as formidable as Lü Bu and Zhao Yun, his family's reputation was not as high as Yang Biao's, and he himself was not ruthless enough to retaliate or implicate others.

(End of this chapter)