Second-hand time travel: Liu Bei, the big-eared bandit

Chapter 279 The Thief Who Stole the Sky
The next day, the two loyal ministers of the Han Dynasty led their troops back to the capital.

The troops were stationed in various key barracks in Luoyang.

However, Liu Xie did not return to Luoyang.

Liu Bei sent Zhao Yun and Diao Chan to let Liu Xie experience the hardships of ordinary people for another day.

Because Liu Xie was still experiencing the taste of hunger.

This child is very patient. He really hasn't eaten for two days. He ate a few bites of grass when he was starving, but he still persevered.

Liu Bei was even a little worried that he might starve to death, so he asked Zhao Yun to keep an eye on him to prevent any accidents from happening.

Zhang Fei accompanied Liu Bei to the capital.

The man Dong Zhuo brought was named Hua Xiong. He was Dong Zhuo's subordinate commander, which meant he was the head of his personal guards and the commander of his own army, a position similar to that of Zhao Yun.

Hua Xiong and Zhang Fei were similar in build, both being burly and muscular, with menacing faces that made them look intimidating.

The reason for bringing Zhang Fei instead of Zhao Yun is, of course, because Zhang Fei is ruthless and capable of anything.

Dong Zhuo brought Hua Xiong instead of Niu Fu, which probably means the same thing.

Dong Zhuo went to court first and ordered the Imperial Attendant to send someone to invite all the officials to the front hall for a meeting.

Without saying anything, Attendant Fu Wan directly ordered his subordinates to carry out the task.

Dong Cheng was a Chamberlain and a Gentleman Attendant, nominally Fu Wan's subordinate.

Upon seeing Dong Zhuo return to the capital and convene a court meeting, Dong Cheng was delighted and personally led people to visit the residences of the officials, showing great enthusiasm.

In the afternoon, all the officials entered the palace.

Liu Bei glanced at Dong Zhuo, then stood in the position of the Imperial Censor in front of the palace, facing all the officials.

According to regulations, this should be the place where the three high officials in charge of government affairs stand, and it is also the position closest to the emperor. If Liu Xie had already ascended the throne, Liu Bei could also stand here when assisting in government.

But Liu Xie has not yet ascended the throne...

Dong Zhuo stood to the side of the court, facing Liu Bei, with the officials to his right—this was the former position of He Jin.

The Empress Dowager was invited out by Dong Min. Looking at Liu Bei and Dong Zhuo's positions in the hall, the Empress Dowager's legs visibly went weak.

Liu Bei turned and bowed respectfully, but the Empress Dowager even stumbled over her return bow.

After Dong Min helped the Empress Dowager to a stop on the steps, he descended the steps and whispered as he passed Liu Bei, "Your Majesty is wise and discerning."

Liu Bei nodded to Dong Min.

In fact, what Dong Min meant was... he had already 'convinced' the Empress Dowager, and she would understand now.

Dong Zhuo waved for Dong Min to join the ranks.

Dong Min stood where Dong Zhuo should have stood—the third row of military officers, the position of the vanguard general.

Qian Zhao stood beside Dong Min, in the right general's position where Liu Bei should have stood.

In fact, this is also the first column, because the previous generals, the generals of the cavalry and the generals of the chariots are gone, the position of general of the guard is vacant, and the left general Huangfu Song is still in Fufeng confronting Han Sui and Ma Teng.

Zhang Fei took the position of Grand Master of Ceremonies.

Hua Xiong's original position should have been that of the Commander of the Imperial Guards.

Judging from their positions alone, Liu Bei and Dong Zhuo's men could interpret it as a fair division of spoils.

But to others, this was a confrontation between Liu Bei and Dong Zhuo...

Jia Xu did not enter the imperial court; he was waiting in the Ministry of Personnel to write an imperial edict, and the seal of the Minister of Personnel was right beside him.

Because Jia Xu was someone trusted by both Liu Bei and Dong Zhuo.

All the officials in the hall could tell that the atmosphere today seemed a bit off, but because Dong Cheng had already contacted many officials privately, many of them had a slightly skewed understanding of the situation...

Liu Bei's current behavior is actually overstepping the bounds, but it is within the proper position of a regent minister, and he is deliberately giving others ammunition to criticize him.

Dong Cheng stood in the train, exchanging glances with several officials.

The Imperial Advisor He Yong stepped forward first: “General Right, the court has its own set of rites and regulations. With the late Emperor gone and the heir apparent not yet in power, the Empress Dowager should act as regent… General Right, your presence here beside the throne today seems to be an act of usurpation…”

Liu Bei glanced at He Yong: "Overstepping authority? The Empress Dowager hasn't even announced the start of court proceedings, and you're already jumping out and shouting... Who's overstepping authority?"

He Yong turned to the Empress Dowager: "Your Majesty, I, He Boqiu, have received a report from the night watchman accusing Liu Bei of plotting to murder Marquis Shi! I request that you thoroughly investigate this matter... Now Liu Bei has once again committed acts of rebellion and usurpation. Such a treacherous minister should not reside in the court, much less serve as the Crown Prince's tutor..."

The Empress Dowager twitched her face, but said nothing.

Liu Bei looked at him coldly, without offering any rebuttal.

The court was relatively quiet, and surprisingly, there was no uproar.

He Yong sensed that something was amiss, and that it seemed somewhat different from what Dong Cheng had said…

But Imperial Censor Zheng Tai jumped out and said, "I second that! There are witnesses in the capital who testify that Liu Bei plotted to kill Marquis Shi. This should be investigated immediately to prevent the Crown Prince from being misled by treacherous people..."

"I second the proposal..."

"I second the proposal!"

Then, a series of officials stepped forward.

Liu Bei didn't recognize most of the people, only the leaders.

The Imperial Advisor He Yong, the Imperial Censor Zheng Tai, the Palace Attendant Zhou Bi, and the City Gate Commandant Wu Qiong—all were renowned scholars, and if Liu Bei remembered correctly, each of them seemed to have some connection with Yuan Shao.

At the same time, along with Dong Cheng, the Chamberlain and Vice Minister, these leaders happened to be involved in various departments of the imperial court.

Liu Bei looked at them and smiled, but still did not refute them.

Dong Zhuo, however, spoke up from the side: "Should the Right General be convicted based solely on the night watchman's report? What if this is a false accusation?"

The scene became somewhat strange; these officials probably didn't expect Dong Zhuo to come out and question them.

Dong Cheng stepped forward: "Whether this is a false accusation is still unknown, which is why it should be thoroughly investigated. Since the matter involves a prince, according to the law, the suspected official should be temporarily confined... We have all acted impartially, and we request the Empress Dowager to make a decision."

"I never expected... that you could even frame someone so clumsily..."

Liu Bei shook his head and laughed: "I originally thought you had some clever tricks up your sleeves, and I was even prepared to learn a thing or two from you..."

"Liu Bei, how dare you be so presumptuous in the imperial court! Regardless of whether you murdered Marquis Shi, your arrogance in the court is unforgivable! How can such a disrespectful brat be the tutor of the crown prince!"

He Yong started looking for dirt on him again.

This is actually the norm in the imperial court; mutual accusations and arguments are the norm. The loss of the previous tranquility has actually made those in the court less tense.

"Om..."

Liu Bei didn't speak; the only sound he made was the faint thud as he drew his sword...

Only then did the officials realize that Liu Bei had entered the palace with a sword at his side!
The officials looked at Dong Zhuo and noticed that he was also carrying a sword.

They had both been standing alone outside the ranks. With so many people in the court, and given that Liu Bei and Dong Zhuo's swords were battlefield implements and rather plain, and the officials' habitual practice of removing their swords and shoes, they hadn't really noticed. The horizontal blade in Liu Bei's hand gleamed with a cold, sharp light.

The once noisy court was now quieter than the mourning hall in the Chongde Hall of the Southern Palace.

"Yide, capture these traitors; they must be Yuan Shao's accomplices."

Liu Bei glanced at He Yong and the others, and immediately ordered their arrest.

Zhang Fei grabbed He Yong by the back of his collar like a chick and carried him to the palace gate. A group of soldiers entered the palace and pinned his hands behind his back.

"Liu Bei! Do you intend to follow in Liang Ji's footsteps? You've falsely accused us without cause! Your crime of plotting to murder Marquis Shi is not yet... Waaah... Waaah..."

He Yong was shocked and was about to curse when his mouth was stuffed with a shoe.

"You can falsely accuse my brother, but you won't allow others to falsely accuse you. What kind of logic is that?"

Zhang Fei leaned closer to He Yong and whispered, "Besides... I know about your relationship with Yuan Shao..."

During the period of the Partisan Prohibitions, He Yong was saved by Yuan Shao. Even when he was unable to hold office, he would often secretly go to Luoyang to help Yuan Shao rescue the partisans. He was a staunch friend of Yuan Shao, and most officials knew this.

Zheng Tai, Zhou Bi, Wu Qiong, and the others looked panicked: "General Dong! This traitor Liu is arrogant and domineering. We beg General Dong to do justice..."

Dong Zhuo stepped forward, grinning, "Xuande is right. You even managed to frame someone so clumsily, and you have no guts. You have some reputation, but you are talentless and immoral. How can you be worthy of standing in the court? Hua Xiong... arrest Yuan Shao's traitors!"

Hua Xiong also stepped forward, probably because he had seen Zhang Fei's behavior earlier, and grabbed Zheng Tai by the back of the neck and threw him toward the palace gate.

Before long, all the officials who came out to accuse Liu Bei were thrown to the palace gate by Zhang Fei and Hua Xiong, and Liu Bei and Dong Zhuo's soldiers tied them up in a string at the palace gate.

The court was completely silent.

"...I have urgently summoned you all here today to discuss politics, which is about the matter of punishing the traitor Yuan Shao."

Liu Bei spoke again: "The traitor Yuan Shao has wreaked havoc in the palace, plotted against His Majesty, attempted to assassinate the Crown Prince, and kidnapped and killed Marquis Shi... His crimes are too numerous to list, and his wickedness and tyranny are unprecedented in history!"

"This traitor has now abandoned the remains of his clan and fled. He has utterly abandoned all loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, and righteousness! He has defiled the country, abused his relatives, and poisoned both the living and the dead. Throughout history, no one has been more immoral than Shao!"

"If this traitor is not brought to justice and executed, it will be a disgrace to us Han officials!"

"Gentlemen, please sign this proclamation to avenge the emperor, quell the national crisis, and punish the traitor! Let the whole world unite to condemn this national traitor, and none shall be spared! Anyone who fails to do so shall be considered an accomplice to the rebellion... and shall be punished by the whole world!"

They led the way and unfurled a proclamation.

This was intended to force all officials to sign a pledge of allegiance, and it was clear that this proclamation was to be widely distributed throughout the land.

The proclamation was brief, but its crimes were extremely grave; it was the kind of document that would warrant the extermination of three entire families for even a single word.

Dong Zhuo was the first to step forward and pressed his fingerprint on the proclamation.

The officials looked at the Empress Dowager with trepidation, but the Empress Dowager looked at Liu Bei and Dong Zhuo with equal trepidation...

Faced with the pledge of allegiance, if any official hesitated even slightly, stumbling a moment as the proclamation was handed to him, Zhang Fei and Hua Xiong would drag him away.

By the time all the officials had signed, half the people in the court had already been dragged away.

"I am to preside over the campaign against the traitor Yuan Shao. Lord Cui and General Dong, I request that you two investigate the murder of Marquis Shi. This case was committed by Yuan Shao, as everyone knows. If there are any accomplices of Yuan Shao, please purge them immediately and restore peace to Luoyang... The Crown Prince will return to the capital tomorrow to ascend the throne. There must be no traitors in Luoyang who have joined the rebellion."

Liu Bei looked at Cui Lie and Dong Zhuo.

Cui Lie was the Minister of Justice, responsible for adjudicating cases.

Dong Zhuo was naturally in charge of arresting people and confiscating their property—a very desirable job.

……

The morning assembly actually only did this one thing.

After the court session ended, the 'surviving' officials were all filled with lingering fear and dispersed trembling.

Empress Dowager Dong seemed to have regained some courage and invited Liu Bei to the inner palace for a discussion.

This is where she killed Empress He.

"Xuande... do you intend to use the emperor to your advantage, like Liang Ji and Dou Wu, or do you harbor ambitions to seize the throne for yourself?"

Perhaps Empress Dowager Dong was desperate, asking the question in an extremely direct manner.

"Actually, my goal is very small. I just want everyone to be human, and for everyone in the Han Dynasty to be able to do their own thing."

Liu Bei replied calmly: "My teacher taught me not to use people for wealth, but to win people over with virtue and wisdom."

What is virtue?

"To prevent people from going hungry, to enable people to live as human beings, to ensure that Han people are fortunate to be born in Han territory, and to enable Han people to stand proudly with Han spirit—this is true virtue!"

"Anyone who tries to stand in my way is my enemy..."

"Whether he is a renowned scholar or from a prestigious family...whether he is a commoner or the emperor!"

“I can be a minor official, or I can be a regent, or I can even become emperor—I can do anything, it just depends on who will support me.”

The Empress Dowager remained silent for a long time before asking again, "Such thoughts are rebellious; aren't you a traitor to the country? Don't you care about your reputation after death?"

“That’s right, I’m a thief. I’ve always been a thief… I have a nickname, Big-Eared Thief…”

Liu Bei nodded: "I don't care about rebellion or fame..."

“If a powerful minister blocks my way, I will seize power.”

"If the emperor blocks me, I will seize the country."

"If the world blocks my way, I will steal the way!"

"If the emperor can serve the country and its people, then I will be his advisor!"

“The Emperor is a disciple of my sect. If he does not accept my teachings and cannot uphold the principles of my sect… I have already said that if any rebellious disciple emerges from my sect, I will surely exterminate him.”

After saying this, Liu Bei turned and left.

There were a few more things he didn't say.

Holding the emperor hostage?
Your father doesn't think much of you...

You had no intention of becoming emperor, but you feared that an emperor lacked virtue, so...

You want to be a Celestial Master!

If you want to educate the world, you must first educate the emperor.

There is no fixed pattern to the thief's ways. Whoever is taught by me can become the emperor... If no one can be taught by me, then you yourself may take the throne.

Nai Gong is a thief...

Thief who stole the heavens!

(End of this chapter)