Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 226 Liu Bian: Old things are detestable, why bother sending them out!
On the tenth day of the eighth month of the seventh year of Guanghe, the setting sun gradually painted the palace walls inside Yong'an Palace in Luoyang.

Liu Bian returned to his palace early this morning, while Cai Yuan and Liu Qing served him as he changed his clothes, as there was a palace banquet tonight.

Today is the birthday of that old lady surnamed Dong, who is also Liu Bian's grandmother, Empress Dowager Dong.

Before the Han Dynasty, birthdays were not considered important. It was only in the early Later Han Dynasty that, influenced by the ideas of the Yin-Yang School and the Taoist branch of the Immortals School, birthdays were given the meaning of wishing the person celebrating their birthday a long life and good health.

Even so, the main process is still sacrificial rites and prayers, rather than banquets and birthday celebrations.

Of course, as the Empress Dowager of the Han Empire, she was different from others.

However, the scale of the palace banquet was not large. The court was facing two wars and naturally had to save money. Only members of the royal family and a few relatives of Empress Dowager Dong were invited. However, Empress Dowager Dong had some complaints about this.

Little did Liu Bian know that he was even more dissatisfied with Empress Dowager Dong. After changing his clothes, the thought of seeing that repulsive old woman that night made him unable to help but curse, "You repulsive old thing, why bother coming out!"

"Your Highness, please be careful with your words."

Liu Qing extended her index finger and pressed it against Liu Bian's lips, then gently shook her head.

The Crown Prince insulted the Empress Dowager, calling her an "old thing." If this got out, it would surely cause a lot of controversy.

"It's alright, Lianyi and Yuhuan aren't gossipy people." Liu Bian waved his hand, naturally not worried that Cai Yuan and Liu Qing would spread the word.

Husband and wife are one, so naturally they share the same fate, and the same fate. Moreover, Empress Dowager Dong once encountered the two women strolling in the palace garden and insulted them without any regard for their status or dignity.

Empress Dowager Dong portrayed Liu Qing as an unfaithful and promiscuous woman, and Cai Yuan as an old woman who had caused the deaths of her parents and was unwanted by anyone.

Even though Liu Qing and Cai Yuan considered themselves juniors and shouldn't argue with their elders, they almost couldn't help but curse at Empress Dowager Dong.

However, the two girls were very sensible and did not complain to the Crown Prince. Instead, they swallowed their anger and kept their grievances to themselves.

But what in the palace could escape Liu Bian's notice these days? Zhang Rang, Zhao Zhong, and Gao Wang controlled the North Palace and the South Palace respectively, and other palaces were also controlled by eunuchs such as Lü Qiang. Naturally, someone had reported this matter long ago.

Although Liu Bian knew that Liu Qing and Cai Yuan had their own ulterior motives for concealing the truth, he still silently made a grudge against Empress Dowager Dong.

If it's just these minor things, I can simply avoid this old man on a regular basis.

However, Empress Dowager Dong seemed to have no idea of ​​the situation and continued to allow her relatives who served as county officials in various places to engage in corruption, and even planned to continue selling official positions.

To avoid criticism from outsiders, Liu Bian did not punish Empress Dowager Dong's relatives at the time, but he seemed to be too lenient.

In the North Palace, Zhangde Hall

The Empress Dowager's birthday celebration was naturally to be held in her palace. Those who were qualified to attend the banquet today, apart from Liu Bian who had not yet arrived, were Liu Hong, Empress He, the seven-year-old Princess Wannian Liu Man, and three relatives of Empress Dowager Dong who were already seated.

Empress Dowager Dong, Liu Hong, and Empress He sat in the main seats. Empress Dowager Dong's withered fingers tapped on the jade armrest as she looked at the empty seat for the Crown Prince on her right. Recalling the face that had once fawned over her and gained her trust, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes deepened with a cold laugh. She sneered, "What time is it? The Crown Prince has not yet arrived. Is he unwilling to be filial to this old woman?"

Empress He, who was separated from Empress Dowager Dong by Liu Hong, immediately recalled the years of verbal battles with this old hag and retorted: "The Crown Prince is busy with state affairs every day, so he is naturally not as leisurely as the Empress Dowager. The country is in constant war, yet he still has the mind to hold a grand birthday banquet."

Empress He went all out from the start. She already disliked this old woman, and this old woman even dared to insult her son.
What does it mean to be unwilling to be filial to one's grandmother? Isn't it just an insult to the crown prince for being unfilial?
If word gets out, what will happen?
You old hag!
Faced with the familiar battle between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, Liu Hong, caught in the middle, lowered her head with a wry smile, picked up a bright red date from the fruit plate, and crunched on it, completely ignoring the arguing mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. Since Liu Hong didn't want to get involved, everyone else in the hall also lowered their heads, not daring to speak. Even seven-year-old Liu Man kept her head down, taking small bites of pastries to fill her stomach.

"So what if it's my birthday? Does such a shabby banquet even deserve to be called a birthday banquet?"

When the topic of the birthday banquet came up, Empress Dowager Dong was furious. She recalled that last year's birthday banquet was filled with congratulations from all the officials, and princes and prefects from all over the country sent their blessings and gifts. Why was it so deserted this year?

"The other day, a local prefect presented gifts, and the Crown Prince actually accused him of corruption and imprisoned him. He's clearly taking advantage of my old age! And that imperial decree..."

At this point, Empress Dowager Dong coughed violently, and only by supporting herself on the edge of the table with her withered hand could she regain her balance.

A few days ago, a prefect sent a birthday gift, but the crown prince not only rejected it, but also imprisoned the man on the grounds of corruption. Could it be that he was taking advantage of this old woman's ignorance?

What crime? It's nothing more than a single sentence from the Crown Prince.

Therefore, Feng Xu, the former Grand Eunuch and Grand Master of the Palace during the Yongle reign, was even accused of colluding with the Taiping Dao to plot a rebellion, which is simply absurd!

Doesn't she know whether Feng Xuzhong is loyal or not?
"This year, for the Crown Prince's birthday, I merely had dinner with the Emperor. What kind of grand celebrations are expected for the Empress Dowager's birthday?" Empress He narrowed her long, phoenix-shaped eyes, raised her arm slightly, and pointed her crimson-painted fingernails at the cold-faced Empress Dowager Dong, saying bluntly, "Now that the war at the front is critical, the Crown Prince is setting an example of frugality, which is praised throughout the land. Does the Empress Dowager intend to waste resources and burden the people for her own selfish desires, disregarding the survival of the nation and its people? Aren't you afraid that you will have no face to face your ancestors after you pass away?"

In recent days, accompanied by her two daughters-in-law, Liu Qing and Cai Yuan, Empress He has not only been visiting gardens and doing embroidery, but has also been reading quite a few books, which has given her a sense of sudden enlightenment.

Having read many books, Empress He suddenly realized that her previous palace intrigue tactics were too crude, and her words when arguing with Empress Dowager Dong were too shallow, which had even earned her the reputation of being unfilial.

Now that you've read books, even if I scold you, my scolding will be reasonable and well-founded. Even if you say I'm unfilial, you still have to praise me for being right!

Looking at the face that she loathed so much, and seeing how Empress He treated her with such disregard, Empress Dowager Dong couldn't help but feel resentful, yet there was nothing she could do.

Empress He linked filial piety towards her ancestors with the protection of the Han dynasty, to the point that Empress Dowager Dong found herself unable to criticize her for being unfilial.

When did this wretched woman acquire such insight? How come she speaks as eloquently as those civil officials and Confucian scholars?

Just as the argument inside the hall subsided, footsteps and the clanging of armor came from outside. Empress Dowager Dong suddenly gripped the hem of her skirt, and was immediately alarmed.

Why were there armored soldiers?

Is the son of this slut planning to harm her?
"His Royal Highness is here!"

Before the shouts had even faded, Liu Bian had already led Liu Qing and Cai Yuan into the hall.

The clanging of armor came from Xu Chu and his guards, who stood with their swords drawn around the hall. Their gazes swept over the people seated there, and the air in the Zhangde Hall seemed to freeze instantly.

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PS: Historically, Empress Dowager Dong was indeed not very bright. When Liu Bian ascended the throne and He Jin took power, she openly allowed her nephew, General Dong Zhong, to oppose He Jin, attempting to seize power from Empress Dowager He as the Grand Empress Dowager. She was simply unable to see the situation clearly.

(End of this chapter)