Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 305 The Harem in Three Powers

The sixteenth day of the first month of the second year of the Han Dynasty.

The emperor issued an edict ordering Liu Yu, the Minister of the Imperial Clan Court, to formally register the name of the emperor's eldest daughter, Liu Huang, into the imperial clan register.

Generally speaking, only princes who are three months old and princesses who are one year old are officially registered in the imperial clan.

A prince who is three months old has passed the stage when he is most vulnerable to death and his mother is too weak to protect him after childbirth.

As for the princesses, since they have no chance of inheriting the throne, they are not given much attention.

However, the exact time when someone is recorded in the imperial clan register is simply a matter of the emperor's word.

However, the clan register is different from the clan genealogy. The clan genealogy only records the names of princes and grandsons of the emperor, while princesses are not allowed to be recorded in the clan genealogy. But if a name is recorded in the clan register, it means that the identity of the imperial family has been officially recognized by the imperial family. Then, based on the closeness of the bloodline with the emperor, they are registered under the corresponding list.

The Minister of the Imperial Clan was in charge of the affairs of the imperial clan and recorded the legitimate and illegitimate children, seniority, and kinship relationships among the imperial clan members of each kingdom.

Each year, the counties and kingdoms were required to submit a list of members of the imperial clan to the Minister of the Imperial Clan Court in order to compile genealogical records of the princes and members of the imperial clan.

If a member of the imperial clan commits a crime and is sentenced to punishment such as shaving his head, the matter must first be reported to the Minister of the Imperial Clan, and the punishment can only be carried out after approval is obtained.

However, due to the calamity of the Han Dynasty's collapse, some of the genealogies of the Former Han were destroyed in the war, causing many minor branches of the imperial family to lose their official status, such as the genealogy of the lineage of Prince Jing of Zhongshan.

Liu Sheng, the Prince of Zhongshan, had twenty-one sons who inherited his title and were granted the title of Marquis. His other descendants numbered over a hundred. Furthermore, the imperial clansmen in various regions were driven out and slaughtered by the Xin dynasty, leaving them all displaced.

At the beginning of the restoration of the Later Han Dynasty, countless people with the surname Liu claimed to be descendants of Prince Jing of Zhongshan, to the point that Prince Jing of Zhongshan almost became a "rotten signboard" for claiming a status as a member of the imperial clan.

Emperor Guangwu of the Ming Dynasty simply took a one-size-fits-all approach, requiring the provision of a clear family genealogy as proof, and the corroboration of powerful and influential families within the prefecture, before a person could be reinstated to their ancestral home.

Therefore, a group of former Han imperial relatives who had fallen from power were forced to leave the imperial clan register.

Liu Bei's ancestors belonged to that group of unfortunate people who fell from grace and were thus separated from the clan.

Even though Liu Bei's grandfather, Liu Xiong, served as the magistrate of Fan County in Dongjun, he still found it difficult to return to his ancestral home.

Preserving one's clan registration is easy, but regaining it is difficult.

Those who did not hold the official rank of two thousand shi (a unit of grain measure) had almost no hope of being reinstated in the clan register.

Fortunately, Liu Bei distinguished himself in the Yellow Turban Rebellion and, after being certified by a group of powerful families in Zhuojun, Liu Bian granted him special permission to be re-registered in the clan register along with his father and grandfather, thus becoming a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan, officially recognized by the court.

The person most delighted by Liu Huang's name being recorded in the imperial clan register was not Liu Bian, the father, or Liu Qing, the mother, nor even Liu Hong and Empress He, the grandparents, but Liu Yu, the Minister of the Imperial Clan Court.

The official in charge of the Imperial Clan Affairs was to manage clan affairs on behalf of the emperor, the head of the Liu clan. However, the most important matter for the clan was whether the direct line of blood was thriving.

Having finally encountered a wise and enlightened emperor, Liu Yu naturally hoped that Liu Bian would live to be a hundred years old and that his descendants would continue to multiply.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, a wise ruler can at least provide the country with one more moderate ruler who maintains the status quo.

Even if later rulers merely followed the old ways, the two generations of father and son were enough to extend the life of the Han Dynasty by forty years.

If Heaven blesses the Han Dynasty and it can replicate the glorious reign of Emperor Guangwu, achieving the "Reign of Ming and Zhang," then three generations of the Han Dynasty could work diligently to extend its lifespan by another sixty or even a hundred years.

For giving birth to the emperor's eldest daughter, Liu Qing was promoted to the first rank and conferred the title of Zhaoyi, a third-rank imperial concubine, with a salary of 2,000 shi (a unit of grain), a silver seal and a blue ribbon, and a rank equivalent to a county marquis.

"This concubine accepts the imperial decree and expresses her gratitude!"

Supported by two personal maids, Liu Qing bowed gracefully to Liu Bian and solemnly accepted the imperial edict.

Now, in this inner palace, apart from Empress Dowager He in the North Palace and Empress Dowager Dong who still harbors resentment, Liu Qing is the most honored woman.

The concubines looked at Liu Qing with a hint of envy in their eyes.

Jealousy is not allowed. If anyone dares to cross the red line set by the emperor, then no matter who it is, the emperor will not show any mercy.

But for Cai Yuan, Cai Yan, and Xun Cai, who were vying for the sole empress's position, this envy was much purer.

Even if Liu Qing gave birth to ten princes, there was absolutely no chance of her becoming empress; this was determined by the general trend of the court.

Therefore, Liu Qing is not their competitor, but rather someone they should try to win over.

“Sister,” Cai Yuan smiled radiantly, stepping forward and gently brushing aside the lady-in-waiting’s hand. She personally helped Liu Qing into a delicate four-wheeled carriage, leaning slightly forward with her head lowered. Her warm breath almost brushed against Liu Qing’s ear, and her voice carried a hint of intimate coquettishness as she said, “I knew of today’s joyous occasion and specially prepared a congratulatory gift for you. Why don’t you come and see my palace?”

A gentle smile spread across Liu Qing's lips as she lightly patted Cai Yuan's slender hand, which was resting on the edge of the carriage, and said, "Between you and me, sisters, there's no need for such formalities. Besides, the country values ​​frugality and has been reducing palace expenses in the past two years. We concubines should be even more mindful of His Majesty's wishes and refrain from extravagance."

Although the words were somewhat unpleasant, it was precisely because of their deep friendship that speaking so frankly to each other seemed natural. After all, she had spent the most time with Cai Yuan.

In order to secure a more secure position in the heart of the emperor before he ascended the throne, the two sisters slept with him on several occasions, engaging in the "one dragon and two phoenixes" ritual of sexual intercourse.

This kind of open and honest friendship is something that other concubines can hardly match. Even though Liu Qing was unwilling to get involved in the struggle for the empress's position, she could not completely disregard this friendship.

“Sister, don’t worry, I understand. That’s a top-quality Xiangyi brocade, a gift from the state last New Year’s Day. It would be a waste to leave it lying around. I love doing needlework, and after sewing clothes for the country and my younger brother, I thought of you, sister, and sewed a dress for you too.” Cai Yuan’s slender hand climbed onto Liu Qing’s waist, which was even more voluptuous from breastfeeding, and suddenly squeezed her increasingly full and magnificent breasts. Her voice was even softer as she said, “Sister, please help me try it on to see if it fits. I can also… make some alterations to suit your current slender figure.”

The hot breath on her ear and the mischievous hand around her waist tickled Liu Qing. She twisted her body, slapped Cai Yuan's hand away in annoyance, and scolded, "Stop being naughty."

Seeing the two acting so intimately as if no one else was around, Xun Cai and Cai Yan exchanged a glance, both reading deep apprehension towards Cai Yuan in each other's eyes.

The "younger brother" that Cai Yuan mentioned was naturally his younger brother, Cai Mao.

Aside from her elder sister, who was married to Huang Chengyan of the Huang family in Xiangyang, and her younger sister, who was still unmarried, Cai Yuan's most cherished relative was Cai Mao.

In her words, she first mentioned Liu Bian, then Cai Mao, and finally her sister Liu Qing, subtly elevating Liu Qing to the position of a family member. Her words implied that she regarded Liu Qing as a true sister.

As for those affectionate little gestures, they were just playful banter between sisters.

Of course, the alliance between Cai Yuan and Liu Qing alone was not enough to make Xun Cai and Cai Yan so wary.

What truly made their hearts clench was the Emperor's attitude on the throne!

Liu Bian took in the whole scene, but remained expressionless, as if he didn't see it at all, or even was happy to see it happen.

Could it be... that the Emperor favors Cai Yuan as his empress?
Liu Bian pretended not to know anything and opened his mouth to bite the plum blossom cake that Fu Shou handed him.

As she gently closed her lips and bit into the pastry, her tongue inadvertently swept across her slender, jade-like fingers, leaving a smooth, glistening trail.

The petty schemes and underhanded dealings among the concubines in the harem are nothing compared to the intrigues and backstabbing in the imperial court.

What they perceived as a "secret struggle" was as clear as the lines on the palm of his hand.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the future empress will only emerge from among Cai Yuan, Cai Yan, and Xun Cai.

Although the Cai clan of Chenliu was not as well-established as the Cai clan of Xiangyang, it had the support of Cai Yong, a great Confucian scholar of the time, and Dong Zhuo, the Left General who held military power.

On the other hand, looking at the Cai family of Xiangyang... A hint of sneer flashed across Liu Bian's eyes. As relatives of the emperor, instead of helping Cai Yuan to compete for the position of empress, they repeatedly disobeyed the orders of Cai Mao, the head of the family, and the decrees of the court. They were simply a bunch of worms who dragged the emperor down!
As for the Xun family of Yingchuan, they produced many talented individuals and were the most profound of the three families.

In order to maintain this delicate balance of power among the three powers, Liu Bian naturally welcomed Cai Yuan's initiative to win over Liu Qing.

Because of Yuan Shang, Liu Qing had no chance of establishing an empress. Even if he, as emperor, followed the example of the First Emperor and never established an empress, the officials would never approve of Liu Qing.

Yin Si was merely a palace maid, and within three generations of the Yin family of Nanyang, no one had risen to the rank of two thousand shi (a unit of grain measure), making her utterly uncompetitive.

The newly appointed concubine Huanpu was presented by Liu He, the Prince of Pengcheng. However, the Huan family of Pengcheng were just ordinary powerful families, and they were not even officials for generations, let alone qualified to become empress (Note 1).

Although Fu Shou was a Jieyu (a concubine of the second rank) and had the support of her mother, Princess Yang'an, who also had a close relationship with Empress He, her background as a descendant of Fu Sheng and a member of the modern literary family meant that she would not be accepted by the court officials of the classical literature school.

Of course, the final decision on who would wield the empress's seal rested firmly in Liu Bian's own hands.

Regardless of his background or whether the court officials approved of him, no one dared to object if he so desired it.

It all depends on whether the emperor will personally intervene to suppress dissent.

The unusual touch from her fingertips made Fu Shou's body tremble slightly. She raised her eyes slightly and met the mischievous smile that flashed across Liu Bian's eyes.

Fu Shou's pretty face flushed instantly, and she quickly lowered her head, savoring the subtle and strange stimulation when the emperor left a trace of dragon's saliva on her fingertip, which made her heart flutter gently.

Taking advantage of Fu Shou attracting the attention of the concubines, Liu Bian comfortably enjoyed being fed by them, indulging in a rare moment of experiencing what it's like to be a "tyrant".

Therefore, there is competition in the harem!
Without competition, there is no pressure!
Without pressure, how can we make progress?

If you want to "get promoted", you have to take the initiative to "improve" yourself!
(3027 words)
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Note 1: Before this was discovered, it seems that it was only mentioned in Chapter 268 that Liu He, the Prince of Pengcheng, presented the daughter of Huan Shi of Pengcheng, without elaborating on her identity.

Well... I feel there's no need to say much more. Historically, she was Cao Cao's wife, and Cao Chong's mother.

(End of this chapter)