Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 201 Liu Bian: Your Majesty, do you really think of yourself as a good person?
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Xu Chu gripped the sword hilt tightly, his boots crunching softly on the muddy road, as he led a group of Crown Prince's guards, their bodies radiating a chilling aura, to surround the area.

As for the emperor's opinion?
Their loyalty to the Crown Prince was etched into their very bones!

I can never repay His Highness's kindness in this lifetime!

The guards of the Crown Prince's residence were all scholars, and at the very least, they came from respectable families. Everyone understood that no one other than the Crown Prince would give them such generous treatment.

Moreover, they bear the mark of being the Crown Prince's retainers, meaning that whoever holds power, except for His Highness the Crown Prince, will be ostracized by the new emperor and his faction.

What are mere eunuchs and palace maids compared to that?
As for the concubines, the Empress was their support!

Which concubine in this palace can rival the Empress?
"Everyone, immediately put down what you are holding and do not move. Anyone who disobeys will be killed without exception!"

Xu Chu suddenly took half a step forward, the armor plates on his body making a crisp clanging sound with his movement, and his roar was like a thunderclap in a clear day, instantly exploding in everyone's ears.

The eunuchs and palace maids were terrified, especially the thieves with ulterior motives, whose faces turned ashen and whose legs trembled uncontrollably.

When Liu Hong disguised himself as a merchant, he had a eunuch helping him keep accounts. Anyone who had kept rare treasures without paying money was undoubtedly a thief.

However, Liu Bian would not issue orders to deal with these matters.

Zhang Rang was to handle the task that would offend people; the Crown Prince was only angered by the Emperor's absurd and playful behavior, which is why he ordered everyone to be brought under control.

As for returning the money and recovering the rare treasures, these were all done by Zhang Rang. What did they have to do with the Crown Prince?

As the crown prince, he couldn't easily deal with these concubines. Most of them had been favored by Liu Hong, so in a sense, they were his concubines or mistresses.

Of course, Liu Bian would not acknowledge these elders. If these concubines had the guts to claim that they were the Crown Prince's elders, they could try... try whether the poisoned wine bestowed by Empress He was delicious enough, and whether the white silk bestowed by Empress He was strong enough.

Well, I'll tell my mother later and let her handle it.

"Hey, Bian'er."

Looking at Liu Bian, who was clearly enraged, Liu Hong chuckled twice, his Adam's apple bobbing unnaturally. He avoided eye contact with Liu Bian, forcing a stiff smile onto his face.

Lately, he's gotten a bit cocky, thinking he's even prepared to abdicate the throne, so he's been indulging himself recklessly. He didn't expect that this incident would lead him to become so arrogant and overconfident.

Now that this kid has caught me red-handed, I wonder what he'll say to me.

How strange! I'm supposed to be the father, but why do I feel like a subservient grandson in front of this brat?

Liu Hong was furious inside, but he rubbed his hands together and put on a fawning smile, hoping that his son would save face for him in front of outsiders. He grabbed Liu Bian's arm and led him into the Chongde Hall.

Xu Chu and Xu Ding exchanged glances and nodded to each other.

Xu Ding, the guard of the Northern Palace, immediately took over the supervision of these concubines, eunuchs, and palace maids. Xu Chu, with his hand on the sword at his waist, led the five hundred guards of the Crown Prince's Palace behind him and quickly took over the defense of Chongde Hall.

Upon entering the main hall, Liu Hong seemed to have given up entirely. He kicked his heel and collapsed onto the soft cushions, his robes disheveled and his hair loose.

Whenever someone sees this rebellious son in Beigong, nothing good ever comes of it, especially now that he's been caught red-handed.

"Father, I will not discuss these matters with you for now. I have something else to ask you."

Liu Bian frowned, looking at Liu Hong's nonchalant appearance, and couldn't help but sigh and slowly shake his head.

Sometimes he would be confused, wondering who was the father and who was the son.

In other families, it's always the son who betrays the father, but in my family, it's always the father who betrays the son.

Liu Hong tilted his head slightly, and while Liu Bian sighed with his head down, he was already comfortably leaning against a palace maid's chest, his eyes slightly narrowed, a satisfied smile on his lips, enjoying himself on the soft, muscular bed.

Another palace maid knelt respectfully, holding a cup of honey water in both hands, and carefully brought it to his lips, causing Liu Bian's blood pressure to spike.

"What exactly is going on with the Song family of Youfufeng?"

Upon hearing Liu Bian's words, Liu Hong's pupils constricted sharply, and he choked on the mouthful of honey water. Clearly, he had not expected his son to ask such a question. He coughed violently, his face turning red, and the palace maid behind him quickly patted his back to help him catch his breath.

Liu Bian handed Song Xiao's memorial to Gao Wang, indicating that he should present it to Liu Hong. After Liu Hong finished reading it, Liu Bian looked at Liu Hong with calm and unwavering eyes, but that calmness made Liu Hong even more uneasy, as if it were the eve of a storm.

Liu Hong subconsciously avoided Liu Bian's gaze, his fingers unconsciously picking at the gold thread on the cushion. He slowly lowered his head, lying face down on the cushion without any decorum, his back rising and falling slightly. He sighed and said, "I also feel guilty, and I also feel afraid."

"That year I dreamt of the late emperor. He pointed at my nose and angrily rebuked me, saying that the Song emperor... deposing the empress was not a crime, but I was misled by evil slander... cough, I misunderstood her and deposed her as empress, causing her to die of grief and indignation. There was also the late emperor's younger brother, Liu Kui, the Prince of Bohai, who had already been demoted, but I ordered him to be executed."

Liu Hong rested his chin on the soft pillow handed to him by a palace maid, his tone softening more than ever before, and he whispered weakly, "The late emperor said that the deposed empress of Song and Liu Kui, the Prince of Bohai, complained to the Supreme God, who was furious and was about to punish me."

"This dream was too real. I have never remembered a dream so vividly. It was as if the late emperor had actually come to my bedside and reprimanded me face to face."

“Some people advised me that the deposed Empress Song had ruled the world as a model mother for many years, and the whole country had benefited from her teachings. There had never been any faults or bad reputations. Yet I have caused her to suffer an unjust punishment, be executed, and bring disaster upon her family.”

"Liu Kui, the Prince of Bohai, was the younger brother of the late emperor. He had never made any mistakes in handling matters of his fiefdom or serving the court as a vassal. However, I executed him without careful investigation."

"To avert this sin, the two should be reburied together so that their wronged souls may find peace, and their exiled relatives should be pardoned, and the title of King of Bohai should be restored to eliminate the calamity caused by this."

After hearing this, Liu Bian looked at Liu Hong with a half-smile. Although the deposed empress of Song was indeed unjustly executed, how could Liu Kui, the Prince of Bohai, be considered to have never made any mistakes?
In January of the eighth year of the Yanxi era (165 AD), Liu Kui was impeached for plotting a rebellion. Emperor Xiaohuan could not bear to execute him and instead demoted him to the Prince of Yintao.

In December of the first year of Yongkang (167 AD), before Emperor Xiaohuan passed away, he left a will ordering Liu Kui to be restored as the Prince of Bohai, but Liu Kui resented Emperor Xiaohuan for not passing the throne to him.

In the first month of the first year of Jianning (168 AD), Empress Dowager Dou Miao and General Dou Wu appointed Liu Hong, who was then the Marquis of Jiedu, as the successor to the throne. They sent people to Hejian State to welcome the emperor. There were rumors that Liu Kui wanted to lead troops to seize the imperial edict to welcome the emperor.

In October of the first year of the Xiping era (172 AD), someone again impeached Liu Kui for plotting a rebellion. Liu Hong issued an edict ordering the governor of Ji Province to arrest him and investigate the case. Liu Kui could not withstand the torture in prison and was forced to commit suicide. His wife and more than a hundred children all died in prison, and the Bohai Kingdom was abolished.

A person who can be impeached repeatedly for plotting a rebellion, especially one of which occurred during the reign of his own brother as emperor, could he have never made any mistakes?
Moreover, Liu Kui, the Prince of Bohai, was extravagant, domineering, and tyrannical. As a prince, he repeatedly bribed palace eunuchs and formed secret connections with them. This was not a secret matter, yet some people still said he was without fault.
"Who said this?" Liu Bian's gaze narrowed slightly, a hint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes.

Liu Hong was stunned for a moment. Looking at Liu Bian's eyes, which were filled with a hint of murderous intent, he sighed and said, "This is Xu Yongyan, the General of the Imperial Guards. Otherwise, why would I be in this situation?"

He had considered that perhaps Liu Bian's killing of his brother and imprisonment of his father was divine retribution, but now many things were unclear as to whether they were good or bad, except for the fact that the Song dynasty had deposed its empress...

"I wish to rebury the deposed Empress Song and have her buried alongside the imperial mausoleum to appease her soul. Bian'er, could you perhaps speak to your mother about this? Otherwise, I feel that I will have no face to meet the late emperor and the deposed Empress Song in the afterlife."

Looking back, Liu Hong still felt somewhat guilty towards the innocent Empress Song, after all, even Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong had contributed a lot of money to her burial, which showed how much he had wronged her.

People who have no worries about food and drink and spend their days indulging in pleasure, enjoying wonderful days they have never experienced before, will eventually feel empty.

After suddenly feeling the emptiness, I couldn't help but recall the past, especially the mistakes I made when I was young and ignorant.

Compared to the many officials he slaughtered, Liu Hong felt the most guilty towards his former bedmate.

Liu Hong felt that Liu Bian should be able to understand him, after all, this rebellious son was still a man of loyalty and righteousness.

However, just as Liu Hong looked at Liu Bian with anticipation, he saw Liu Bian suddenly let out a series of cold laughs, his face as cold as frost.

"Your Majesty, do you really think of yourself as a good person?"

"If you don't treat the Song family of Right Fufeng well, you won't be able to face the late Emperor and the deposed Empress Song in the afterlife?"

"Even if you posthumously grant the father of the deposed Empress Song a princely title and have the entire Song clan of Youfufeng buried with the emperor in the imperial mausoleum, the historians will not record that you treated the deposed Empress Song well!"

"To be buried with the emperor in the imperial mausoleum, and you expect me to persuade my mother?" Liu Bian suddenly stood up, kicked over the table in front of him, and glared at Liu Hong, saying, "Liu Hong, you are truly shameless!"

"Do you expect Mother to issue a decree of self-reproach, admitting that she framed Empress Song back then? And next, do you expect me to persuade Mother to drink poison and commit suicide to atone for her sins?"

Let alone being buried in the imperial mausoleum, even if it meant being reburied, Liu Bian would never agree to it.

Regardless of how later historians record things, the deposed empress of the Song Dynasty must be considered a wicked witch who practiced witchcraft during this reign, and this cannot be changed!
This concerns Empress He's reputation!
Do you want me to sacrifice my own mother's reputation to give you, Liu Hong, the so-called peace of mind?

If this isn’t shameless, what is?
"A-Wang, draft the decree on my behalf." Liu Bian's voice was icy, and the chilling and ferocious look in his eyes made Gao Wang shiver. "Song Xiaoyin of Zuo Fengyi disobeyed military orders and repeatedly insulted his commander, causing the army to lose nearly a thousand men. He is hereby beheaded to serve as a warning to the entire army. Anyone who disobeys military orders in the future will be executed without mercy!"

Having said that, Liu Bian ignored Liu Hong, abruptly flung his sleeves and strode away, while the Crown Prince rode in his palanquin toward Empress He's western palace.

(3233 words)
PS: From the Book of the Later Han Dynasty, Volume 10, Annals of Empresses, Part 10: The emperor dreamed that Emperor Huan was angry and said: "What crime has Empress Song committed that you would listen to evil people and cause them to die? King Kui of Bohai has already demoted himself and was executed. Now the Song family and Kui have appealed to Heaven, and the Supreme God is furious. Their crimes are beyond redemption."

(End of this chapter)