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

Chapter 438 His soul should be sent home in ten thousand victories.
"Chan Guan is still in Linzi, and she doesn't know that His Majesty will leave Linzi... I have her place all those who know the truth under house arrest."

Zuo Yuan said in a low voice.

Liu Bei nodded and continued with the ceremony of being appointed prime minister, without showing any expression.

In fact, Zuo Yuan's approach is currently the optimal solution.

Without revealing any information, Diao Chan, who knew the situation best, was instructed to place everyone who knew about Zhuge Liang and Liu Xie's identity swap under house arrest, prioritizing the prevention of internal problems.

Only Jian Yong, the most reliable and powerful person, should be prepared first, so as not to be caught off guard in case of an emergency.

Once Liu Bei returns, immediately have Zhuge Liang appoint Liu Bei as Prime Minister, granting him full authority over state affairs, and then let Liu Bei handle this matter.

This may seem like a cover-up or delay, but it's actually the least impactful approach.

Most people are unaware of this; all they know is that the person sitting on the throne is the emperor.

To avoid revealing Zhuge Liang's weakness, Zuo Yuan did not tell Zhuge Liang about this matter.

Now that Liu Bei has returned victorious from his northern expedition, even if external forces were to use Liu Xie as a pawn in a propaganda war about whether he was the true or false emperor, the generals who have already made great contributions and been granted titles and ranks will not waver in the face of such military achievements.

After all, Liu Bei always said that the words of the enemy cannot be trusted.

……

The next day, at the East Pavilion.

Today, the East Pavilion has become a veritable Prime Minister's residence, and Jian Yong has been transferred to the position of Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister.

Liu Bei, Zuo Yuan, Jian Yong, Diao Chan, and a few others were having a private meeting behind closed doors.

Zhao Yun stood guard outside the door, not allowing anyone to enter.

These individuals, along with Jia Xu who is currently in Chang'an, are the ones who clearly know Zhuge Liang's true identity and are all trustworthy.

In fact, after Liu Xie changed his name to Jiang Ye, he did not cause any problems at Yi Wu Academy. He was just a smart student whom the teachers of the academy admired.

By the end of April, Linzi received news of Empress Dowager Dong's death and Dong Zhuo's assassination.

At that time, Empress Dowager Dong had been dead for two months, and many things had happened in between. Li Jue had even begun to besiege Chang'an.

However, after the court officials left Luoyang for Chang'an, they did not send any envoys to Qingzhou to deliver the message.

This was not intentional. At that time, there was chaos and war. The remnants of Bai Bo's forces, Yang Feng's forces, the Southern Xiongnu remnants, and Niu Fu's forces were all around Luoyang. The imperial envoys dared not send messages to Qingzhou.

The officials in Luoyang were not on Liu Bei's side, and none of them were willing to risk sending a message to Qingzhou. It would be good enough if they could send someone to inform the gentry in Nanyang, Yingchuan, and other places around Luoyang where they were concentrated.

Zuo Yuan received all the messages from the underworld soldiers. Jia Xu sent people to relay messages to inform them of the situation in the west many times. The underworld soldiers who delivered the messages had a hard time bringing back the overall situation of Chang'an and Luoyang, and they did so by taking the southern route of Yuzhou.

Zuo Yuan immediately summoned Jian Yong, Diao Chan, and Liu Xie himself to discuss the matter.

Zuo Yuan was certainly aware that Liu Xie had to go and hold a funeral for Empress Dowager Dong, and that this matter should be discussed with Liu Xie, and that Liu Xie's emotions should be appeased.

But it was not a suitable time to hold a funeral—Liu Bei's main force was all in Youzhou, and there were not many troops left to guard Qingzhou, and they had to maintain stability in the rear.

The journey back for the soldiers was arduous, as they had to take detours constantly. This was because there were large numbers of rebel troops and bandits in Henan and Chenliu, which Cao Cao was currently suppressing. Moreover, Cao Cao had incorporated the remnants of the Southern Xiongnu, greatly increasing his strength.

The remnants of the White Wave Army, the remnants of the Southern Xiongnu, the remnants of Yang Feng's forces, the remnants of Niu Fu's forces, the righteous army organized by Zhu Jun in Zhongmu, and Cao Cao, who was sending troops to quell the rebellion after incorporating the Southern Xiongnu... There were too many forces along the way.

If we were to take the emperor to Luoyang at this time, it would be like sending a lamb to the slaughter.

If Liu Xie had returned to Luoyang in a high-profile manner as the emperor at that time, it would have been the worst choice. Various rebel armies would have been mobilized, and the various forces such as Yuan Shu, Cao Cao, and Liu Biao would have also been tempted.

For Liu Xie, the identity of the emperor was indeed a golden shackle.

Therefore, Zuo Yuan and others decided to send a message to Liu Bei first, and then proceed with the funeral arrangements after Liu Bei returned to his army; otherwise, chaos would ensue.

Liu Xie knew he had to hold back, and after a good cry, he still agreed with Zuo Yuan's decision.

However, by then Liu Bei had already arrived in Liaodong, so it wasn't so easy for Zuo Yuan to pass on messages to Liu Bei. Such secret reports couldn't be relayed through various counties using public notices; they could only be delivered by trusted individuals.

Liu Bei's advance was so rapid that even Zhang Fei missed the battlefield. His messenger troops, like Zhang Fei, went to Ji County and didn't have time to go to Liaodong.

A few days later, Liu Xie disappeared.

Diao Chan immediately found Zuo Yuan, and after searching and investigating, she discovered that Xin Ping, the Taixue Assistant who had inspected the academy that day, was also missing.

Diao Chan meticulously found the ground inkstone and the still-wet pen in the academy's dormitory, but no letter was found—clearly, Liu Xie had written a letter in the academy, most likely for Liu Bei or Diao Chan, but the letter had probably been taken away.

Both Zuo Yuan and Jian Yong could guess that Liu Xie's identity might have been exposed.

The private seal hidden in the secret compartment of Jiang Ye's house is still there. It was a private seal that was carved when Liu Xie was one year old, and the inscription on the seal is "Liu Xie".

This was a personal item for most Han Chinese scholars. Starting from the time of their first birthday celebration (when they were formally named), they would use this private seal for the rest of their lives as long as they did not change their names.

The fact that the seal wasn't taken away indicates that Liu Xie didn't leave as 'Liu Xie', but as 'Jiang Ye'.

The seal is currently in Diao Chan's possession.

"Since leaving Luoyang, His Majesty has come to understand that the emperor is the emperor, Dong Hou is Dong Hou, and Jiang Ye is Jiang Ye... He also understands that the emperor's grand return to the capital is like a child carrying gold through a bustling market."

Diao Chan knew Liu Xie best: "His Majesty must have left under the identity of Jiang Ye, and was somewhat forced, otherwise he wouldn't have gone without a letter after grinding ink and using a brush."

"Jiang Ye's identity is actually safer. No one will make a big fuss over a young student, so His Majesty's life is certainly not in danger."

Liu Bei also told the others about Yuan Shao's last words: "Yuan Shao once said... Xin Ping will definitely take Your Majesty to Yingchuan. The message that Cao Mengde sent last month may have been a test."

Yuan Shao did not lie in Liaodong—in fact, Yuan Shao never lied; he simply chose not to tell the whole truth.

Those who deceive people with falsehoods and lies are merely con artists; those who can accomplish great things rely on deceiving people with the truth.

"So, what should we do now?"

Jian Yong asked, "Now that Xin Ping knows His Majesty's identity, the Yingchuan gentry will surely use this to stir up trouble. Cao Mengde is deeply entangled with the Yingchuan gentry; I wonder if he will still obey his elder brother's orders..."

"Why don't we just go ask them and find out..."

After thinking for a moment, Liu Bei made a decision: "It just so happens that Wenhe probably needs support as well, so let's return to the old capital... and move the capital of the Han Dynasty back to Chang'an!"

The decision to return the capital to Chang'an was met with no objection from the people.

Linzi was never the capital; it was merely a place where the emperor would stay temporarily during his eastern tours. There wasn't even a separate imperial palace built there.

Liu Bei's desire to return to the old capital was actually more in line with the mentality of all the generals and officials—after the north was pacified, it was only right to return to the capital to pay respects to their ancestors, and at least to visit Maoling to comfort Emperor Xiaowu.

Luoyang is already in ruins, so it is only right to move the capital back to Chang'an.

Zuo Yuan cautioned, "The relocation of the capital back to the old capital will require considerable preparation time. Cao Mengde is likely already preoccupied with the Empress Dowager's funeral arrangements, so it may be too late to attend the ceremony..."

"Take your time with the preparations, there's no rush... We don't need to attend the Empress Dowager's funeral."

Liu Bei shook his head: "Send a message to all the units that we will first hold a memorial service for the fallen soldiers at the Martyrs' Shrine... Spread this message throughout the land, saying that Your Majesty and I are both busy with the funeral arrangements for the fallen heroes of the Northern Expedition to annihilate the Hu, and we do not have time to go to Henan to participate in the Empress Dowager's funeral."

Jian Yong immediately agreed: "If anyone dares to criticize Your Majesty on the grounds of filial piety, then the soldiers of our Great Han will surely send the person who made the criticism to the land of the barbarians as a slave."

By holding a memorial service for the fallen soldiers and then returning them to the old capital, Liu Bei wanted to raise the morale of his generals to its highest point before having them face the internal struggles of the Han Dynasty.

It was also so that the brothers could carry the spirit of their comrades and face all obstacles with a superior attitude.

Liu Bei could foresee some obstacles, such as the fact that he would definitely not be able to attend Empress Dowager Dong's funeral, nor would Zhuge Liang be able to attend the emperor's funeral.

This will definitely become the biggest starting point for public opinion among the Yingchuan gentry.

They will inevitably start their attack with 'filial piety,' claiming that the emperor in Liu Bei's court is an imposter, and using this as grounds to refuse to acknowledge Liu Bei's position as prime minister, thereby denying his status as a regent.

But what if Liu Bei had shown a different attitude—fighting for the country, driving out the Tartars, solving the famine in the north, holding funerals for the soldiers who died on the battlefield, and raising orphans… These things were more important than the Empress Dowager’s funeral, so he couldn’t attend the Empress Dowager’s funeral in time.

So, no matter how the scholars or pedantic Confucianists might attack, at least the military men and commoners of the entire Han Dynasty would have a different attitude. Loyalty and filial piety are difficult to reconcile, so let's try to win over our respective supporters.

But... which supporter is more combative?

……

A few days later, Liu Bei led his soldiers to the Jishan Martyrs' Shrine once again.

Although the Han-Hu war was a great victory, the number of casualties was still staggering after all the casualty lists were compiled.

The total number of Han soldiers who died on the battlefield was over 13,600, and more than 16,000 were wounded.

The highest-ranking official was Liu Yu, the Grand Marshal and Governor of Youzhou, followed by Xu Rong, the Prefect of Youbeiping and General of the Household.

Nearly 30,000 were killed or wounded, most of whom were troops who were trapped in various cities and passes from the beginning and fought to the death.

It wasn't until Liu Bei and Guan Yu defeated Gao Gan's army that the situation reversed, and the casualties decreased significantly thereafter.

Even among Liu Bei's elite troops, several thousand died in battle after several engagements.

The monument commemorating the achievements is inscribed with countless names.

All the characters were the same size, with no distinction between job titles, only names.

To show respect and honor, the emperor personally carried the Han flag and paid homage to the fallen soldiers at the Martyrs' Shrine Square on the top of Jishan Mountain.

Liu Bei lit a fire in the square in the middle of the Martyrs' Shrine to summon the souls of the fallen heroes, and prayed to Heaven: "These are all loyal and brave souls. I beseech Heaven to guide them and appoint them as divine generals to protect the eternal peace of the Han Dynasty."

The surrounding soldiers stood in solemn salute.

Many orphans of martyrs came to pay their respects, and upon hearing this, they all shed tears and kowtowed.

But after Liu Bei lit the fire, he shouted, "My lords, do not grieve! The heroes who died on the battlefield did not die so that you might grieve!"

"Our soldiers have fought countless battles and shed their blood, a victory for the Han Dynasty! Let us all shout 'Ten thousand victories!' and send their souls home with the sound of victory!!"

"Wan Sheng!"

"Wan Sheng!!"

"Victory!!!"

……

……

Marquis Xu Rong, known for his bravery, was a prominent man from Xuantu.

In the third year of Guanghe, the Donghu invaded the border. Rong led a hundred men from his village to resist them. The prefecture and county recognized his skill in battle and appointed him as a military officer.

In the fifth year of the Guanghe era, the Xianbei invaded, and Rong led the Wuhuan cavalry to behead hundreds. At that time, Emperor Xiaoling wanted to restore trade with the Wuhuan, so Rong was promoted to the position of Huqi Commander and supervisor of the Lulong Pass.

In the third year of Zhongping, Zhang Chun and Zhang Ju rebelled and, together with the Wuhuan and Xianbei tribes, invaded Youzhou. Rong held his ground at Wuzhong and fought to the death, killing thousands of enemies. In the end, he was outnumbered and barely escaped with his life.

In the sixth year of the Zhongping era, Yuan Shao plotted a rebellion and, in alliance with various commanderies in Guandong, launched an attack on Chenggao. Rong, then serving as a General of the Household, defeated the combined forces of Cao Cao and Bao Xin at the Bian River.

In the second year of the Chuping era, the bandits of Mount Tai rebelled. Xu Rongzuo fought bravely and was awarded the title of Marquis of Guannei and appointed as the governor of Langya.

In the fifth year of the Chuping era, the Donghu invaded the border. Rong was appointed as the governor of Youbeiping. He defeated 10,000 enemy cavalry with 3,000 soldiers at Xuwushan. He died in the pursuit of the enemy.

For his meritorious service in defending the borders and pacifying the frontier, Xu Rong was posthumously awarded the title of Marquis of Valor and the purple ribbon, and was granted the honor of being worshipped as a hero for eternity.

—From "The Biography of Righteous Officials: Xu Rong", by Chen Feng.

……

Liu Yu was posthumously granted the title of Marquis of Xiangben. He was recorded in the Record of Loyal Ministers because he refused to yield even when threatened with the lives of his entire family by the Hu chieftain.

Xu Rong was posthumously granted the title of Marquis Zhuangyong, awarded a purple ribbon in recognition of his military achievements, and included in the list of heroes and martyrs.

After Liu Yu's death, Ji County was thrown into chaos. His son, Liu He, had already disappeared during the turmoil and was likely killed.

Xu Rong had no sons, only one daughter. Zuo Yuan adopted her as his daughter, named her Zi, and allowed her to keep Xu Rong's purple ribbon.

At the same time, Liu Bei announced that he would build a martyrs' orphanage in Chang'an to raise the children of all the soldiers who died in battle.

More than 13,000 soldiers died in battle, most of whom were old and young. Usually, generals would not let young men without children participate in battles where they were sure to die, especially when they were surrounded for a long time. Those who survived were often those who had not yet married and had children.

The orphanage was managed by Zuo Yuan, which means that all these children could be regarded as Liu Bei's adopted sons and daughters. In addition, veterans who were wounded in the war would also be employed in various colleges or orphanages.

The orphanage itself was also an academy, an affiliated elementary school of the Great Han Military Academy.

Of course, even orphans of martyrs had to pass the entrance exam to enter military academy; there were no special privileges.

Although she wasn't given any special treatment, her livelihood was guaranteed. Zuo Yuan had never been poor since she married Liu Bei and never mistreated those around her.

The families of martyrs will also receive compensation from the imperial court, but not in a lump sum. Instead, they will receive a monthly stipend—their parents can receive the stipend of soldiers who died in battle until both parents pass away.

Moreover, this salary is based on merit and is determined by the final rank posthumously recognized by the imperial court.

In other words, if someone is considered a martyr, it's as if they never died, and they can continue to receive their salary.

The children are raised in orphanages, and the parents receive a salary to support them, so the whole family doesn't have to worry about making a living. This also prevents unrelated people from taking advantage of the heroes.

Most importantly... those who participated in foreign wars are all listed as heroes, and being listed in the Martyrs' Shrine guarantees entry into history, without any mention of their origins.

Including Chen Feng, none of the recorders would write down a person's background; they would only record where the person was from and what merits they had made.

Zang Ba, who missed the battle between the Han and the Hu people, was filled with regret and exclaimed that his brothers were too slow.

Sun Guan also wished he could fight another war between the Han and the Hu people.

Of course, they soon had their chance.

The solemn ceremony to commemorate the martyrs lasted for more than half a month, with most of the time spent on statistics and escorting the martyrs' families.

News came from Cao Cao's side that the gentry of Yingchuan had indeed held a funeral for Empress Dowager Dong and had sent a proclamation to Qingzhou.

This proclamation, of course, accused Liu Bei of being disobedient and disloyal, and of having someone impersonate the emperor, etc.

However, the proclamation did not cause much of a stir when it reached Qingzhou—Qingzhou, Xuzhou, and Hebei were all celebrating the Han Dynasty's pacification of the northern frontier at that moment, so any proclamation would hardly have any significant effect.

Compared to the prestige of the Han Dynasty and the treatment of martyrs, the soldiers really didn't care much about the Empress Dowager's funeral... and the official settlements in Qingxu and Hebei were all under the control of the soldiers.

As long as the core base remains intact, any other minor disturbances are just noise.

This proclamation, ironically, became Liu Bei's pretext for launching a military campaign—a blatant slander.

Smearing the emperor and defaming the prime minister of the Han Dynasty will come at a price...

At the end of August, just as the temperature dropped, Liu Bei once again led his army westward and also sent a proclamation to the various prefectures of Henan.

This proclamation was written by Chen Lin, a native of Xuzhou. Chen Lin is currently a military officer in Xiapi—yes, he is a military officer, a native of Guangling, and a relative of Chen Deng.

Liu Bei's so-called "returning the capital" did not mean moving the capital there, but rather that the army marched there, the emperor personally quelled the rebellion, pacified the two capitals, and then returned the capital to Chang'an.

That's right, it was the emperor personally leading the expedition.

This time, the troops were divided into three routes, with the emperor nominally in charge, though Zhuge Liang was still playing the role.

Guan Yu responded from Wei Commandery, Liu Bei led the central army along the Yellow River road in Dong Commandery, and Zang Basun inspected the troops and marched out of Pei State along the southern route of Yu Province.

(End of this chapter)