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

Chapter 295 The Emperor's Departure
November of the first year of the Chuping era.

Liu Bei purged the remaining rebels from Guandong in Chenliu and issued an arrest warrant for all the famous figures who had participated in the Guandong coalition.

This arrest warrant certainly won't have much practical effect, but a statement is definitely necessary.

After the arrest warrant was issued, there were no openly resisting forces in the entire Yanzhou region for the time being.

Zhang Miao, Zhang Chao, Bao Xin, Cao Cao, Kong Rong... and so on, all of them have temporarily disappeared.

Many remnants of the army were also left behind in Chenliu and Dongjun.

After the Kwantung Coalition dispersed, no one would stand against Liu Bei alone... or rather, no one would stand against the imperial court on their own; no one is a fool.

Yuan Shao raised an army in rebellion, Zhang Miao was the liaison, and Zang Hong led the oath-taking ceremony—everyone else could claim to have been "coerced" into it…

After Liu Bei incorporated nearly two thousand remnants of his army, he replenished the troops of each unit and left Xu Huang and Xu Rong to be stationed in Chenliu and Puyang respectively.

Guan Yu marched eastward to quell the rebellion, lest any sudden uprisings by the rebels occur.

Zhang Fei then quickly headed to northern Ji to clear the road to Jinan.

Zhang Fei learned of Cao Cao's whereabouts in Jibei. Cao Cao and Bao Xin had already led their remaining troops into Taishan County and headed southeast. If nothing unexpected happened, Zhang Chao and the others were probably traveling the same route, possibly returning to Guangling.

(Note: Both Jibei and Taishan belong to Yanzhou. Jibei and Jinan are named after the north and south banks of the Ji River, but this refers to different sections of the river, upstream and downstream. The Ji River flows from south to north and then east. The core area of ​​the Jibei Kingdom was north of the upper reaches of the Ji River; the core area of ​​the Jinan Kingdom was in the southern part of the middle and lower reaches of the Ji River. In reality, Jinan was located further north, and Jibei was further south.)
At this time, the floods along the Yellow River's southern route had completely receded, and there were no more rebels in the counties along the way. The road to Qingzhou (the Yellow River's southern route) was now unobstructed.

……

While Liu Bei was still in Dongjun, Yang Biao consulted with Empress Dowager Dong and chose an auspicious day ahead of time to hold a memorial ceremony for Liu Hong's tomb.

The reason given was that the original plan was to close the mausoleum in the twelfth lunar month, but the alchemist observed that there might be heavy snow that would freeze the mausoleum, so it was best to close it before the winter snow arrived.

This reason is actually quite reasonable, but since the new date must also be an auspicious day suitable for closing the tomb, it can only be done a full month in advance, leaving only five days for preparation.

The sealing of the mausoleum and closure of the tomb is the most important part of the emperor's funeral. The emperor's burial is different from that of ordinary people and takes a longer period of time.

The memorial service before the coffin was buried was held when Liu Xie ascended the throne. However, the work of repairing and sealing the mausoleum before the coffin was buried would take a long time. The day the mausoleum was sealed was the day of the final farewell to Liu Hong.

According to the will, Liu Bei was Liu Xie's guardian. Liu Xie and Liu Bei should serve as the chief officiant and assistant officiant at the sealing ceremony of the mausoleum. Liu Xie should lead the way for Liu Hong's coffin, and Liu Bei should burn incense and set off the stele to lead the officials in bidding farewell.

The final step in seeing Liu Hong off should, of course, be to wait for Liu Bei to return.

However, Empress Dowager Dong and Yang Biao changed the date, deliberately moving the time forward. This was actually to prevent Liu Bei from returning and to weaken his influence.

If Liu Bei didn't even return to participate in the late emperor's final farewell ceremony, it would certainly give people something to talk about.

Qian Zhao was a meticulous person. After receiving news that the sealing ceremony of the mausoleum had been brought forward, he immediately sent someone by fast horse to deliver a message to Liu Bei.

Qian Zhao wasted no time, but this was a round trip. The messenger had to go to Dongjun to find Liu Bei, and Liu Bei had to return to Luoyang within five days...

By the time Liu Bei received the message and rushed back on horseback, it was already quite late.

Diao Chan, having received instructions from Jia Xu, led a group of palace servants to wait for Liu Bei at the Yanshi intersection. This was the place where Liu Bei first met Wu Kuang, and it was also the only way back to the capital.

Upon seeing Liu Bei return, Diao Chan told him to go directly to Beiman and not to linger, saying that Liu Bing would meet with her and wait for him to arrive.

Everything a person has ever done has a cause and effect.

In the morning, after the officials left Luoyang through the north gate, Yang Biao, as the person in charge of the ceremony, originally planned to lead Liu Xie directly to the mausoleum for the sealing ceremony.

But Liu Xie refused, saying, "This matter requires the Junior Tutor's accompaniment."

Liu Bei had not yet returned, and the Empress Dowager was not present, so Liu Xie did not listen to Yang Biao, Wang Yun, and others at all.

Empress Dowager Dong was Liu Hong's mother and the Grand Empress Dowager. Her political status represented the supreme virtue of filial piety, and she was not allowed to leave the palace to participate in the closing ceremony of the mausoleum in Beiman. She would receive the condolences of the officials in the palace.

Wang Yun claimed to be related to Liu Xie's birth mother, Consort Wang, and proposed posthumously honoring Consort Wang as Empress Dowager, attempting to coax Liu Xie into completing the ceremony quickly.

Consort Wang was from Handan and had no kinship with the Wang family of Taiyuan. This was just Wang Yun imitating Dong Zhuo... Empress Dowager Dong's Hejian Dong clan and Dong Zhuo's Longxi Dong clan were also completely unrelated.

However, Liu Xie showed no respect for Wang Yun or Yang Biao, and simply asked, "Where is the Grand Tutor?"

Although Liu Xie was young, he could distinguish right from wrong. Liu Bei always treated him as a junior brother, which made him a hundred times closer to Liu Xie than to the strangers Yang Biao and Wang Yun.

Perhaps because they were used to treating the emperor as a political figurehead, or perhaps because they were used to the puppet nature of an underage emperor, Yang Biao and Wang Yun probably subconsciously regarded Liu Xie as a puppet that could be manipulated at will.

But I never imagined that Liu Xie was also a human being...

Humans have feelings...

Liu Bei was the only person who took Liu Xie out to climb mountains and see rivers. For Liu Xie, the day Liu Bei took him to see the mausoleum site in Beiman was much more important than today's ceremony.

Moreover, Liu Bei and Liu Xie had no ideological or interest conflicts, and even their way of speaking was more reliable than those of these officials—Liu Bei treated Liu Xie as an independent person, not as an object representing a title.

Zhao Yun and Qian Zhao served as Liu Xie's bodyguards. They were reasonable and advised Liu Xie to get on the oxcart first, go out the door and slowly head towards Beiman, and wait in front of the mausoleum.

Upon arriving at the mausoleum, Liu Xie sat on Liu Hong's tomb platform for three hours straight...

Liu Xie and Liu Hong reminisced at the tomb, a traditional procedure for father and son to bid farewell to the late emperor, which no one could rush.

Because this is filial piety, the longer one sits, the more filial one is... They waited until the afternoon.

Liu Bei finally arrived at the scene.

Seeing Liu Bei arrive at the tomb looking travel-worn, Liu Xie got up and walked towards Liu Bei, saying, "Young Master, I'm hungry."

Liu Bei turned his head and looked at the officials beside him who were waiting so long that their backs and legs were aching. He took out a piece of rice cake from his pocket and handed it to Liu Xie: "This was originally a sacrificial gift that I brought for the late emperor. However, I believe the late emperor would not have any objection to his son eating his father's snacks."

When Wang Yun saw Liu Xie take the rice cake from Liu Bei and start eating it, a clear look of jealousy appeared in his eyes.

……

The ceremony ultimately ended with Liu Bei placing a stele and covering the ground for the late emperor.

However, Liu Bei did not send Liu Xie back to Luoyang.

After leading the officials to bid farewell to the late emperor and complete the ceremony, Liu Bei asked Liu Xie in a low voice, "Would you like to visit the Tongji Canal and the Jixia Academy in Qingzhou?"

Tongji Canal was the diversion canal connecting the Yellow River and the Ji River, as described by Jia Xu.

Liu Xie nodded: "I'd like to, but I don't know when I'll be able to go..."

"Let's go now..."

Liu Bei took Liu Xie's hand and walked to the tomb, where he announced directly: "Now the rebels in Guandong have scattered and fled, and the roads in Guandong have been pacified, but the chief culprit has not been eliminated and the accomplices have not been captured. We should search the whole country and kill the rebels one by one."

“I have an inescapable responsibility for this matter… but General Dong has just sent troops to Xizhou, and I am also pursuing the rebels in Guandong. Luoyang has just been in great turmoil, and I fear that there may still be Yuan’s loyal followers hiding there. It is difficult to ensure the safety of the capital.”

"To prevent Your Majesty from being harmed by traitors, I intend to escort Your Majesty on an eastern tour to Mount Tai, to pay homage to the footsteps of your ancestors and to perform the greatest act of filial piety in order to solidify Your Majesty's position."

"This is also His Majesty's personal pursuit of the disloyal rebels, using military force to establish order in the court, so as to prevent the rebels from spreading rumors and damaging His Majesty's reputation."

The officials were all in an uproar upon hearing this, but they dared not argue loudly in front of Liu Hongling, and were all as flustered as headless flies.

Wang Yun reacted quickly, immediately objecting: "His Majesty is young. If he is to make an eastern tour, proper preparations should be made. To bring it up so hastily now is not in accordance with the law..."

“We are always ready to protect the imperial carriage. We can set off at any time as long as Your Majesty wishes.”

Jia Xu stepped forward and said, "If we prepare for a longer period of time and let the whole world know, I'm afraid some traitors will take the opportunity to stir up trouble."

"Luoyang cannot be without a ruler for even a day. His Majesty has just ascended the throne; how can he easily leave the capital..."

Yang Biao also stepped forward to obstruct them.

"What are you all trying to do? Shouldn't His Majesty decide where he wants to go? You all want to make decisions for His Majesty... Are you taking advantage of His Majesty's youth?"

Liu Bei pushed Yang Biao and Wang Yun back into the ranks of officials, one in each hand, and brought Liu Xie in front of him: "Please give your instructions, Your Majesty."

"Now that the roads to the east have been pacified, I will immediately make an eastern tour and personally punish the disloyal subjects!"

Liu Xie was eager to go to Qingzhou immediately... He didn't want to be treated like a puppet in Luoyang.

He could sit in front of the mausoleum for three hours straight because he was used to sitting there in the palace; most children wouldn't have that ability.

"Your subject receives the imperial edict."

Jia Xu moved with lightning speed, unfurling a brocade scroll and slapping his seal on it—the imperial edict for the eastern tour was already written by Jia Xu and always carried with him…

The imperial edict was then given directly to Qian Zhao, who immediately took out the emperor's seal and presented it, along with the edict, to Liu Xie.

Liu Xie took the imperial seal and stamped it on top.

Qian Zhao turned around and handed the imperial edict to Yang Biao, who was still standing there in a daze: "Please take this, Doctor Yang. Lead the officials to receive the edict and return to the capital..."

The entire process took only a few breaths... This was definitely the most efficient imperial edict ever issued in history, and it truly followed every single step without missing a single detail.

Meanwhile, Zhao Yun led his guards to assemble at the foot of Mangshan Mountain, and they all shouted in unison, "Let's go!"

This was both a farewell to the late emperor and a signal for Liu Xie's upcoming inspection tour.

"Gentlemen, if anyone wishes to accompany the Emperor on his eastern tour, please seek out Jia Wenhe to obtain a summons."

Liu Bei summoned his steed, lifted Liu Xie onto the horse, and glanced back at the officials: "The emperor's whereabouts must not be revealed to outsiders. If any of you wish to accompany the emperor, please go with Jia Wenhe and make a grand display of the imperial procession to lure the enemy... I hope you all have the courage to do so!"

After saying this, Liu Bei spurred his horse out and led Zhao Yun and his guards directly eastward.

Jia Xu waved his hand, and Qian Zhao's subordinates unfurled the imperial regalia, leading the imperial carriage to the location where Zhao Yun's guards had been earlier—this was Liu Xie's regalia for leaving Luoyang today, complete with everything, so there was indeed no need to prepare anything new.

Even the palace servants have been brought to Yanshi by Diaochan to wait...

"Gentlemen, are there any volunteers willing to accompany the Emperor on his eastern tour? Please come and register... We need to escort the Emperor eastward and use this imperial carriage to lure the enemy away."

Jia Xu spoke of the potential dangers on the road: "If we stay in the capital, we can also share the Empress Dowager's burdens, which is all for the sake of serving the Han Dynasty..."

The officials looked at each other, some seemingly wanting to argue and shout, but not daring to speak loudly in front of the late emperor's mausoleum, their veins bulging with suppressed anger.

(End of this chapter)