My father-in-law Guan Yu, I persuaded Liu Bei to launch a surprise attack on Xiangyang at the beginn

Liu Bei was taken aback and looked at Xiao He with astonishment.

Clearly, he did not expect that at this moment when Cao Cao usurped the throne, Xiao He would openly urge him to ascend the throne as well.

The ministers were also taken aback, but they quickly understood and were all greatly encouraged.

"Your Majesty, I believe Bowen's words are reasonable!"

Zhuge Liang immediately stepped forward and said with great emotion:
"Cao Cao usurped the throne and declared himself emperor in order to use his imperial status to promote his lackeys and henchmen to official positions and titles, promising them generations of wealth and honor, in order to entice the powerful families of Guanzhong to defend the false Wei regime to the death."

"This is Cao Cao's tactic to win people's hearts!"

"I believe that Your Majesty must not sit idly by and must confront this matter head-on."

"Your Majesty now reigns supreme over the nine provinces and has the merit of restoring the Han Dynasty. You are guided by the Mandate of Heaven and the will of the people. You should follow the will of Heaven and the hearts of the people, take over the Han Dynasty, ascend the throne, and rule the four seas!"

"Only in this way can Your Majesty's unparalleled achievements be truly demonstrated!"

"Only in this way can we win the respect of heroes from all directions, who will be willing to go through fire and water for Your Majesty, to destroy Cao Wei, and to unify the world!"

Xiao He took the lead, and Zhuge Liang followed suit with a generous plea for the throne.

The reasons are sufficient:

Your achievements, Lao Liu, are already great enough to rival those of Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han. Even Cao Cao dared to declare himself emperor, so why can't you, Lao Liu?
Furthermore, once you, Liu, ascend the throne and become emperor, the heroes from all directions who follow you will be promoted and ennobled, and the "original shares" you hold will be realized and secured.

Finally, only when you, Liu Bei, became emperor could you stand on equal footing with Cao Cao; otherwise, you would have been inferior to Cao Cao in status.

"Bowen, Kongming, you, you..."

Liu Bei looked at his ministers in surprise, unsure of how to respond.

"Your Majesty!"

At this moment, Kong Rong also stepped forward and bowed to Liu Bei:
"Your Majesty is concerned that the current emperor is still alive. If Your Majesty were to ascend the throne, it would be seen as forcing the emperor to abdicate, which would invite criticism from the people."

"However, the late emperor left a will stating that if the emperor is capable of being assisted, then Your Majesty should assist him; if he is not capable, then Your Majesty may take the throne yourself."

"It is common knowledge that the current emperor is of mediocre talent and ability and is ill-suited to the heavy responsibility of conquering Wei, reviving Han, and governing all under heaven."

"Your Majesty possesses great talent and strategic vision, has the style of Emperor Gaozu, and has accomplished the feat of restoring the Han Dynasty. Your virtue and achievements are comparable to those of Emperor Guangwu."

"Your Majesty's ascension to the throne as Emperor and succession to the Han dynasty is perfectly legitimate and in accordance with the will of Heaven and the hearts of the people!"

"Your Majesty, I implore you to prioritize the great cause of restoring the Han Dynasty, to value the nation and its people, and to ascend the throne as Emperor!"

Kong Rong saw through Liu Bei's concerns and immediately stepped forward to clear the obstacles to his ascension to the throne.

The will of Emperor Xie (Liu Xie) is the legal basis for Liu Bei's claim to the throne!
Liu Bei remained silent, his initial shock gradually giving way to calm.

Upon seeing this, Xiao He immediately bowed twice:
"Your Majesty, I humbly beseech you to prioritize the well-being of the nation and ascend to the throne as Emperor!"

Guan Yu, Zhao Yun, Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong, Fa Zheng…

The high-ranking officials present prostrated themselves in unison, shouting:

"Your Majesty, we humbly beseech you to prioritize the well-being of the nation and the people, and to ascend to the throne as Emperor!"

"Your Majesty, we humbly beseech you to prioritize the well-being of the nation and the people, and to ascend to the throne as Emperor!"

The clamor for the emperor's ascension, as loud as a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing, echoed throughout the main hall.

Liu Bei raised his head, glanced around at his ministers, and the domineering aura of a ruler rekindled within him.

"Liu Bei, Liu Bei, do you really not want to sit in that position?"

Liu Bei ascended the high steps, arrived at the palace gate, and looked up at the sky, questioning his own heart.

The Son of Heaven, the Emperor, the Supreme Ruler... Now, as the King of the Great Chu, I possess the land of the Nine Provinces, with over forty armored soldiers and countless strategists and generals.

With such formidable strength, it would be self-deception to say that he never even considered the throne.

In fact, he had foreseen this scene when he was granted the title of Duke of Chu.

The only thing I didn't expect was that this day would come so soon.

The urging of Xiao He and other ministers to ascend the throne came so suddenly.

The late emperor's edict, his unparalleled achievements, the people's aspirations... all these preconditions ensured that even if he ascended to the throne, it would be legitimate and he would not be criticized by the people. He was also aware of this.

He also understood another layer of meaning from Xiao He and Zhuge Liang:

The heroes of the world and the valiant men from all directions followed you, Liu Bei, and some of them were indeed moved by your ideal of restoring the Han Dynasty.

For example, Zhuge Liang, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and even Xiao He.

But ideals are intangible, they can't be eaten, and they can't be converted into wealth and status.

Most wise and heroic people follow you through thick and thin because they believe you have the potential to be a great leader and that following you will surely lead to conquering the world.

When you become emperor, they will be granted titles and honors, and your descendants will inherit these titles, enjoying wealth and honor for generations to come.

To put it bluntly, everyone follows you just to try and gain merit by following the emperor!
For themselves and for their descendants, they risked their lives for wealth and glory.

These tangible benefits are the driving force behind these strategists and warriors' tireless efforts and willingness to go through fire and water for you.

How are you now?

Cao Cao, this traitor outside the imperial family, actually dared to usurp the throne and declare himself emperor.

The ministers under his command, such as Xiahou Dun and Sima Yi, who followed him to the throne, were all high-ranking officials, either ministers or marquises.

We individuals are merely officials of the Chu Kingdom, our titles and ranks are already inferior to theirs.

Why?
Is it because you, Liu Bei, are afraid of being gossiped about behind your back, or because you care about your reputation?
Therefore, our merit in following the emperor has been slow to materialize, and we are always inferior to the pseudo-Wei regime.

Xiao He and Zhuge Liang were reminding him to quickly declare himself emperor and cash out everyone's initial investment, lest he disappoint everyone.

Liu Bei understood this perfectly.

At this moment, Liu Bei felt as if he were enveloped by an invisible "force".

This "force" is uncontrollably lifting him up, forcibly pushing him toward the emperor's throne.

This is what it means to be an inevitable trend.

Liu Bei understood even better that, faced with this overwhelming trend, whether or not he became emperor was no longer up to him.

For the sake of the public good and personal interests, for the sake of the country and for yourself, you have no choice but to become the emperor!
After pondering for a long time, the worries and hesitations in Liu Bei's eyes gradually disappeared.

Instead, it was replaced by the domineering confidence of the emperor.

Cao Cao, a treacherous minister from another clan, dared to overestimate his abilities and shamelessly usurp the throne by holding only three provinces!

I, Liu Bei, am a member of the imperial family. I rule over the nine provinces, have rendered great service to the state, and have the late emperor's edict!

I have the strength, I have the lineage, I have the law. In this world, besides me, Liu Bei, who else is qualified to sit on the throne of the emperor?
Liu Bei took a deep breath, slowly raised his head, and looked at his ministers with an iron-like domineering gaze.

Inside the hall, there was an instantaneous silence; the silence was so profound that you could hear a pin drop.

Xiao He and all the ministers present held their breath, looking intently at Liu Bei, awaiting his decision. (End of Chapter)