Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 175 I abdicate to become the Retired Emperor, and you ascend the throne as the Son of Heaven!
North Palace, Chongde Hall
The Emperor, Empress, and Crown Prince gathered here, their purpose... naturally, was to denounce the Crown Prince!

“Dian Junming and Xu Zhongkang are capable of dealing with the traitors, but the Crown Prince himself has gone to such a dangerous place. What if that old scoundrel has arranged for crossbowmen to injure people with arrows from the shadows?”

Empress He's phoenix eyes were filled with rage, sparks almost flying from the corners of her eyes. Her chest heaved violently, and the hair ornaments in her hair swayed wildly with her movements.

She had never been this angry, not even when her own son pretended to distance himself from her in order to kill that little bastard.

The crown prince of a country repeatedly went to dangerous places. Even a son of a noble family would not sit under a dangerous roof, let alone the crown prince.
It would be one thing to personally lead the campaign against the Yellow Turbans, but Yuan Kui plotted a rebellion and wanted to assassinate you. You knowingly went to quell the rebellion, but no one knew if Yuan Kui had any unknown plans. It was too risky.

“What your mother said is absolutely right. What would you do if it were a poisoned arrow that could kill instantly?” Liu Hong was leaning against the jade armrest, but upon hearing this, he suddenly sat up straight, stroking the jade pendant at his waist. He echoed Empress He’s words, agreeing with her repeatedly, and without hesitation, he took the opportunity to stir up trouble from behind.

Having finally seized the opportunity, he naturally wouldn't let it slip by easily; he was determined to teach this rebellious son a lesson.

Liu Bian, who had been being lectured by Empress He for almost half an hour, swallowed hard. He suppressed his bitterness and secretly lamented his misfortune. When he saw Liu Hong getting involved, he thought he was about to be subjected to a mixed scolding by both men and women.

No, it was like this in my past life, and now that I'm the crown prince in charge of the country's government, why should it be like this?

Then wouldn't I have been the crown prince for nothing!
However, Empress He suddenly turned around abruptly, the pearls and jade on her hairpins clinking together with a crisp sound. Her eyebrows furrowed, her phoenix eyes fixed on Liu Hong, and her red lips parted slightly as she coldly said, "Hmph, you still have the nerve to say that? It's all because you, this foolish emperor, have failed in your duty as a father!"

The child does not teach, the father too.

Although this saying doesn't exist in this era, the similar idea still holds true: the responsibility of educating children is something that the father should bear.

Liu Hong was completely taken aback when the flames of war turned against him, and even Empress He called him a "tyrant." His face flushed red, but he deflated under Empress He's sharp gaze, his expression fell, and he pouted, not daring to argue.

Where is the dignity of an emperor now?

"My son Bian'er has been in power for a year and has been praised throughout the country. He has both quelled rebellions and governed the country well. How dare you, a foolish ruler, speak ill of Bian'er?"

Empress He, who had turned her attention to Liu Hong, remained as formidable as ever. Taking a sip of tea, she recounted Liu Hong's "crimes" of favoring Liu Xie in his early years, keeping him by his side and carefully educating him, while ignoring Liu Bian and letting him grow up outside the palace.

My son, I can scold you, but I can't scold you, you tyrant!
After this scene of "Empress He's verbal battle with her father and son," the topic returned to the main purpose of Liu Hong summoning Empress He and Liu Bian today.

"Do you want to be the emperor?" Liu Hong leaned forward slowly, his hands resting on the jade armrest, like a cheetah crouching low, gathering its strength, about to pounce on its prey. He spoke slowly and deliberately.

Liu Bian was slightly taken aback, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. Faced with Liu Hong's sudden question, he was momentarily at a loss for words.

Does he want to be the emperor?

I really want to!

I dream about this all the time!

If he didn't want to be emperor, he wouldn't be sitting in the crown prince's seat now.

Liu Bian gave Liu Hong a deep look. He couldn't understand Liu Hong's thoughts. Why was he asking him if he wanted to be the emperor at this time? What did he want to do?
However, Liu Bian's desire to become emperor does not mean he is obligated to provide an answer, and the topic should not be led by Liu Hong.

Liu Bian forced himself to remain calm, chuckled lightly, his expression seemingly mocking how foolish Liu Hong's question was, and said rather flippantly, "What does Father Emperor wish for?"

“Poisoning, death from illness, hanging with a white silk ribbon, drowning, suffocation…” Liu Bian slowly listed a series of dignified ways to die that could preserve the integrity of the body, tapping the table lightly after each method, as if letting Liu Hong choose one himself.

As Liu Hong listened, his face darkened, becoming so gloomy it seemed as if water could drip from it. He suddenly slammed his hand on the table, splashing tea from the dragon-patterned table and wetting his sleeves, but he didn't even notice. His trembling finger pointed directly at Liu Bian, and he angrily cursed, "You unfilial son! Do you intend to commit regicide and patricide!"

Liu Bian spread his hands, shrugged slightly, and put on an innocent yet troubled expression. He pouted and said, "Father asked me if I wanted to be the emperor, but if Father doesn't pass away, how can I become the emperor?"

Empress He watched the father and son arguing, especially Liu Hong's humiliated appearance, leaned against the armchair, and chuckled softly, covering her mouth with her slender hand.

She knew perfectly well that her son wouldn't kill his father or his ruler, but seeing him make this scoundrel suffer made her inexplicably happy.

Liu Hong took a deep breath, his chest heaving, trying to reassure himself that he shouldn't argue with the mother and son. He had married them and had them as his own children; it was his choice, and he couldn't blame anyone else. "I won't argue with your nonsense. I'm just asking if you want to be the emperor!" Having calmed down, Liu Hong realized that his rebellious son was merely trying to provoke him by being flippant, not wanting to be led by the nose. He decided to be direct, saying, "I intend to abdicate and become the Retired Emperor, following the example of Zhao Zhufu, while you ascend the throne as the emperor."

Liu Bian stared at Liu Hong with a furrowed brow, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the hem of his clothes, creating deep wrinkles in the brocade.

Out of wariness of Liu Hong, he always felt that this matter was not as simple as Liu Hong said, and that there must be some ulterior motive behind it.

But no matter how much he thought about it, he still couldn't figure out what Liu Hong was really after.

People are not afraid of you having ulterior motives, they are afraid of not knowing what you are after.

Liu Hong also understood that some things had to be laid out clearly, otherwise, given his rebellious son's nature of "plotting with Emperor Xiaowen and acting like Emperor Shizong," he would never agree to this matter.

There was nothing he could do; he needed this rebellious son's help.
Left with no other choice, Liu Hong had to tell the truth.

Liu Hong tapped the armrest with his fingers, chuckling as he said, "What else do I ask for now? Nothing more than to be given a posthumous title after my death."

Since his youthful passion and ambition were shattered by seven major natural disasters every year for three consecutive years, he entered a semi-retired mode. Now that his rebellious son is in charge of the government, he can enjoy himself without worry.

To be honest, it really does have a sense of "being so happy here that one forgets the Southern Palace".

He can eat, drink, and have fun every day, and has several beauties by his side. Recently, Empress He has helped him repair his relationship with his wife. He spends at least a third of the nights each month visiting Empress He to communicate with her.

This kind of life has already satisfied him; his only hope is that he will receive a positive posthumous title after he dies.

He knew exactly how much he had offended the literati. Even if Liu Bian succeeded to the throne normally after his death, the literati would at most spare him a bad posthumous title like "Li" or "You" because he was the father of the new emperor, but it certainly wouldn't be much better. Perhaps a slightly nicer posthumous title like "Ling" would be given.

His request wasn't high; he just wanted a posthumous title.

Liu Bian pondered for a long time, and indeed, as Liu Hong said, he should have no other desires. He had enjoyed everything in his life and was destined to live a happy and fulfilling life in the future. The only thing he wanted was a good name after his death.

"Of course I will not allow my father to be given a bad posthumous title." Although he still had some doubts, Liu Bian accepted Liu Hong's deal and solemnly promised.

Giving Liu Hong a posthumous title would also be beneficial for him as the successor.

In fact, both Liu Hong and his son Liu Bian understood that Liu Hong could not stay on the throne forever. To put it bluntly, if Liu Hong were to sit here now, what would the ministers who had served Liu Bian during his time as a prince think?

We came here to claim credit for our service in supporting the new emperor. If you, Liu Hong, don't step down, how can we claim credit for our service?

Crown Prince Liu Bian may not have been aware of this, but having seized power from Empress Dowager Dou through a palace coup, he certainly understood it all too well.

Even if the father-son relationship is harmonious, some things will eventually affect their feelings for each other. Liu Bian is already the regent crown prince, and there are too many people standing behind him. Even if he truly respects himself, he will be pushed forward by the people behind him.

By then, even if Liu Bian didn't want to do it, the people behind him would force him to do it, and no one could say for sure what kind of trouble would ensue.

Liu Hong didn't want to really go that far with this rebellious son, and at the same time, he wanted to save face for himself.

Rather than being forced or compelled to hand it over in the future, it's better to hand it over voluntarily early on, thus fulfilling the emperor's wish of this rebellious son and completely maintaining the father-son relationship.

Of course, he also had a secret thought hidden deep in his heart.

Currently, the two large armies from Liangzhou and Bingzhou are still at the front lines suppressing the rebellion, and the formal transfer of power, the form of the transfer, and the preparation of the ceremonies required for this transfer all require time.

At the very least, the transfer of power could not have taken place before the rebellions in Liangzhou and Bingzhou were quelled, which means that the credit for these two rebellions was attributed to his reign!

Thinking of this, a faint smile involuntarily appeared on Liu Hong's lips.

Hey, this martial arts...it's amazing!
(2804 words)
(End of this chapter)