Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 260 The Han Dynasty has lost its glory, who will succeed it?
Memorial to the King of Han on Appointing General Shu

Your subject, Jia Xu, bows deeply and respectfully.

Since our parting in Chang'an, several years have passed in the blink of an eye. I have wandered in all directions, and whenever I think of Your Majesty's situation, I cannot help but feel moved and weep.

I am fortunate to hear that Your Majesty has returned to the old capital, is in good health, the ancestral temples are well, and the Han Dynasty is on the verge of revival. Although I am far away in the countryside, I am also very fortunate for the world.

I believe that this Mandate of Heaven has returned to the Han Dynasty, and the nation will have a day of renewed glory. The darkness that has lasted for four hundred years has been brought to light because of Your Majesty. How could I not be overjoyed and weep? Even though we are thousands of miles apart, I still bow my head and raise my cup in distant respect.
Of course.

Observing the general trend of the world, the imperial star has dimmed and the Han dynasty has lost its luster. I cannot help but worry about Your Majesty and have been unable to sleep well.

From the beginning of Dong Zhuo's usurpation of power, warlords carved up the land, war broke out everywhere, the people were displaced, ancestral temples were covered in dust, ministers were strong and rulers were weak, emperors lost their authority, the imperial regalia changed hands, and the Mandate of Heaven was not passed down!
Rebellious ministers usurp high positions, loyal and upright officials neglect their duties abroad, the foundation of the Han Dynasty is teetering on the brink of collapse, and ambitious individuals are rising up everywhere. This is truly a time of impending doom and extinction.

As Mencius said: "That was one time, this is another."

Every five hundred years a king will rise, and among them will be those who become famous.

It has been more than four hundred years since the Han Dynasty.

Heaven does not wish to bring peace and order to the world; if it did wish to bring peace and order to the world, then in this age, who else but Lord Yuan could do it?
Fortunately, Heaven did not forsake the Han people; in Huainan, there was still Lord Yuan who cherished the ambition to uphold justice and had the ability to turn the world upside down.

Yuan Gong was a man of great talent and ambition, who long cherished loyalty and righteousness, prepared his troops for war, and always harbored the thought of reviving the Han dynasty.

Having received the imperial edict to suppress the rebellion, the people are now loyal to the emperor. However, I have recently heard that Liu Jingsheng of Jingzhou, who has long enjoyed the Han dynasty's bounty, is plotting to protect himself and harbors rebellious intentions, showing no regard for Your Majesty's suffering.

Lord Yuan personally led a large army to suppress the rebellion for His Majesty, protecting Jingzhou and Xiangyang, recovering nine prefectures, and thus achieving the merit of stabilizing the country and establishing the dynasty.

Now that the south is pacified and our military strength is sufficient, the Huainan region has a million-strong army that has all submitted to the king's rule. The Han army controls the entire Yangtze River region, and none dare disobey us.

Yuan Gong was not only capable of turning the tide, but also had the ambition to restore order to the world. In the time of crisis for the Han Dynasty, he was like a tree supporting the sky, a pillar in the midst of the turmoil.

Your Majesty believes that in these chaotic times, Your Majesty should value the virtuous and capable to win the hearts of the people.

If Yuan Shu could be appointed King of Han, it would not only demonstrate the court's discerning eye for talent, but also highlight Yuan Shu's achievements in restoring the Han dynasty!
If he advances, he will intimidate all the heroes under heaven, so that none will dare to underestimate the Han court; if he retreats, he will inspire Lord Yuan to devote himself wholeheartedly to the cause, and lead the loyal and righteous men of the land northward to serve the emperor, rescue His Majesty from the hands of the traitor Cao, and save the Han dynasty from its impending collapse.

In this way, the ancestral temples can be secured, the state can be preserved, and the hope of revival can truly be awaited.

Although I am not talented, I dare to offer my humble opinion and humbly request Your Majesty to make a wise decision and not disappoint Lord Yuan's expectations.

If this is true, then the million-strong army in Huainan is all grateful for Your Majesty's virtue.

Your subject, Jia Xu, bows deeply.

The mandate of heaven changes, who can alter it?
With the Han dynasty losing its luster, who will succeed it?
Tears streamed down my face as I wrote this, and I was at a loss for words.

Tears still stained the golden edict.

Clutching the golden book tightly in his hand, Liu Xie lowered his gaze, as if he could see again that familiar gentleman, who was slightly overweight and always smiled kindly at him.

Unlike Xun Yu, who was a modest and gentle gentleman, Mr. Jia was more like a kind and approachable elder, a wealthy old man who always gave him a sense of warmth and familiarity.

He looked into his own eyes and saw no sense of destiny or high expectations, only a small pity for a poor child.

When Li Jue and Guo Si were in charge of Chang'an, his life was far more difficult than when Dong Zhuo was in power. No matter how licentious and deceitful Dong Zhuo was, he was still a subject.

And what about Li Jue and Guo Si?

They are bandits!

They were far more ruthless and cruel than Dong Zhuo, and were completely unscrupulous. As desperate criminals, they had no scruples whatsoever.
How many times did he narrowly escape death? And how many times were Li and Guo truly so arrogant as to kill him, or even the Empress, the royal family, or the last person close to him?
The reason why the Han Dynasty has fallen to this state is because the righteous men who fought to restore the Han Dynasty were killed by these two traitors.

Four whole years!
Chang'an was like a hell, something I would do anything to escape.

In those dark and hopeless days, when even the emperor himself didn't know if he could see the sun when he closed his eyes at night.

It was Mr. Jia.

Whenever Li and Guo went mad and wreaked havoc in the court and the countryside, it was always Mr. Jia, with his slightly plump figure and no strength to even kill a chicken, who would stand in front of him.

Han officials are no good, loyal ministers are no good, and even scoundrels are no good!

Only Mr. Jia could persuade those two foolish, vulgar, and unreasonable desperados to lay down their swords.

In the tyrannical and war-torn Chang'an, only Mr. Jia's decrees could offer the people a chance to breathe.

That's strange!

It was clearly him who offered the plan that led Li Jue and Guo Si to advance their troops into Chang'an. He should be the one I deeply hate and want to eliminate.

But it was also he who was the only person I could rely on to protect me in that hellish Chang'an.

The Emperor's brother-in-law, Dong Cheng? At the height of Li and Guo's power, the small number of troops under his command couldn't even protect his own life and property, so how could he be expected to protect me?

Grand Commandant Yang Biao? You kidnapped the emperor, held the ministers hostage, and caused chaos in Chang'an. What could you officials do besides weep until dawn?

Only Mr. Jia, who sought his advice several times to resolve the crisis and offered a plan to leave Chang'an overnight, enabled our return eastward today.

Back then, I was just a ten-year-old child in the deep palace. I often wanted to rely on my teacher and would often ask him for advice. I also questioned him about why he helped the wicked Li and Guo to take over Chang'an.

I still vividly remember your expression and tone at that time, as if they were leaping off the golden book in my hand.

The gentleman bowed deeply and replied:
I am of meager virtue and talent, and have neither the ability to uphold justice nor the ambition to continue the nation's legacy.

What the people seek now is nothing more than to preserve their lives in this chaotic world. This is true for the people, and it is also true for your subject.

While protecting myself, I have done my best to assist Your Majesty in any way I can.

The mandate of heaven changes, who can alter it?
With the Han dynasty's glory fading, who will succeed it?

The mandate of heaven changes, who can alter it?
With the Han dynasty losing its luster, who will succeed it?
Upon seeing these sixteen characters again, Liu Xie understood the master's meaning.

The pages are filled with praise for Yuan Gongyan, yet they are also filled with helpless tears.

He knew that the gentleman asked for very little, nothing more than to protect himself and survive, and to do his best beyond that.

At this moment, the gentleman who had stood before Liu Xie several times before seemed to be bowing to him and slowly taking his leave.

"The mandate of heaven changes, but who can alter it?"

The glory of the Han dynasty has faded; who will succeed it?

Liu Xie muttered to himself, looking up at the sky, but could only see the dark palace walls, never seeing the sun!
He looked up and laughed, then suddenly thrust the Emperor's Sword, which he had just used to chop the table, straight into the table, its sharp edge disappearing into the hilt.

"The Mandate of Heaven has changed, and I shall change it!"

The glory of the Han dynasty has faded; I shall succeed it!

The emperor gripped the hilt of his sword, looked up to the sky and shouted. The little boy's face was still immature and tender, yet none of his ministers dared to look up at him.

"Someone come!
Put the Prime Minister's sword and shoes on him!

Prime Minister Cao!

"May I lead the army and quell the rebellion?"

Cao Cao: "."

It's nothing serious, so it's Imperial Censor Cao; it's something serious, so it's Prime Minister Cao, right
Cao Cao was speechless at the speed with which the emperor changed his mind.

He made it sound good that he would personally lead the troops to quell the rebellion, but now that he has returned from suppressing the rebellion, his troops have been almost entirely wiped out, while the emperor's troops are unharmed. He is in a desperate situation.

Whether he can win the next battle against the thieves is another matter. The key point is that I just heard the emperor say that he intends to appoint Liu Bei as the General of the Rear and have him train a new army in the Western Garden.

It's easy to imagine that when he returned, he would fight a bloody battle with Yuan Shu, suffering heavy losses, while Liu Bei would accomplish great things in Luoyang, training a new elite army directly under the emperor's command.

With the balance of power shifting, it's uncertain whether I'll be able to re-enter Luoyang City at that point.

Sending him to quell the rebellion would, from the emperor's perspective, either extinguish Yuan Shu's arrogance if successful, or allow the balance of power to shift if unsuccessful, thus completely suppressing him.

By leading his troops away from Luoyang, the emperor would have no one to control Luoyang, which would be entirely beneficial.

But what will I gain? A battle with Yuan Jun, a fight to the death, and Luoyang, a city whose backyard is on fire and will fall into the hands of the emperor?
For both public and private reasons, for Cao Cao and for the people, it was impossible for Cao Cao to accept this order to lead an expedition.

However, under the overwhelming power of Yuan Jun, all the officials remained silent, except for Cao Xiang, who had been singled out and had no choice but to answer.

Meeting the emperor's youthful yet sharp gaze, Cao Cao donned his sword and boots, and looked at him calmly. "Your Majesty," he said, "war is a matter of survival or destruction, a path to life or death, and should only be used as a last resort."

Our army suffered a recent defeat, losing many soldiers and generals, while Yuan's army won a recent victory and gathered the Jing troops.

At this point, trying to defeat the thief is like trying to break a rock with a broken egg, or trying to put out a wildfire with firewood—it's a path to certain death.

"Now that Yuan's army hasn't attacked us, we're fortunate enough to be able to hold onto our small piece of land. How can we even talk about attacking the traitors?"

As he spoke, he seized the opportunity and offered his advice with clasped hands.

In my opinion!
General Wenpin, under Grand Tutor Liu, was steady and experienced, well-versed in battle, and had never made a mistake despite having fought in hundreds of battles.

He can now be appointed as General Who Guards the East, and station his own troops of 20,000 at Wuguan Pass to cut off Yuan Shu's eastward advance from Nanyang.

Guan Yu, Liu Bei's second brother, killed Hua Xiong at Sishui Pass while the wine was still warm. He was a man of unparalleled courage and loyalty.

He can now be appointed as General Who Guards the South, and his own troops of 30,000 will guard Huanyuan Pass to cut off Yuan Shu's northward route through Yingchuan.

By guarding their gates, both can ensure their safety for the time being.

They should rest and recuperate, stockpile grain, and raise an army, waiting for the opportune moment.

If any unrest occurs in the south, I will personally lead the army to pacify Huainan, recover the three prefectures, and revive the Han dynasty.

Was Cao Cao right?

All the ministers knew that what he said made sense!

His own forces had suffered a recent defeat, with heavy losses, while Yuan Shu had won a new victory, with well-trained troops and ample supplies.

It's already a good thing that Yuan Shu didn't attack his own country at this time. How can an army that has suffered a hundred defeats forcefully attack a country that has won ten thousand victories?
But none of the emperor's ministers could accept his reasoning.

In this world, things aren't always right just because you say they make sense.

"Cao Cao, you traitor!"
"You appease the Yuan family and dare not go to war; how can you say you are not a loyal subject of the Yuan family?"

This is Liu Yao.

"This is utterly ridiculous and contrary to the principles of heaven and earth!"
"If these mad bandits are not punished now, how can the world respect the Emperor, and how can the feudal lords submit to the Han state?"

This is Yang Biao.

“How rampant is Yuan Shao? You are the Chancellor of Han, how can you sit idly by and watch him covet the throne?”

"Quickly accept the order and do not fail His Majesty's expectations."

This is Liu Biao.

Faced with this yet another attack, Cao Cao chuckled and scoffed:

"Grand Tutor Liu, I am not a prime minister, but an imperial censor."

How could he not understand the principles of political correctness?
But to ask him to lead troops into battle, to fight Yuan Shu to the death, and to lose Luoyang and the emperor, such selflessness is absolutely impossible.

Watching the assembled officials once again attacking each other, not a single one dared to criticize Yuan.

Liu Xie sighed softly. How could he not understand Cao Cao's thoughts?

Transferring Wen Ping and Guan Yu to guard the two passes and block Yuan's army seemed like a foolproof plan.

However, once the two armies leave, Luoyang will once again fall into the control of Cao Cao's army, and he will once again become a puppet emperor being held hostage.

However, given the current situation, even if Cao Cao were to lead his army out of Luoyang to resist Yuan Shu, he would resolutely refuse.

At this moment, he sat upright on the dragon throne, watching the assembled officials arguing and bickering, with the Emperor's faction and Cao Cao's camp attacking each other, and not a single one of them was able to stand up to the enemy and kill the traitor Yuan.

He's going to become king!

He openly sent a letter to the imperial court, declaring his intention to become the King of Han!
My ministers! My officials!
My Han ministers!
The glory of the Han dynasty has faded; how can it be succeeded?
The deep-seated helplessness in Liu Xie's eyes was exactly the same as that of the gentleman who bowed and scraped before him in his memory.

The mandate of heaven changes, who can alter it?
With the Han dynasty losing its luster, who will succeed it?
Is this the destiny you speak of, sir?
When Cao Cao was about to seize power in Luoyang after eliminating traitors, his ministers died for their country; when he was criticized by the emperor's faction and lamented to me, the entire Cao family remained loyal and righteous.

Even when it comes to fighting on the front lines and needing people, they are still vying for power and profit, engaging in petty and despicable schemes!

Amidst the arguing and bickering between the Emperor's faction and Cao's faction, a mournful cry was heard from the Emperor on the platform:
"The mandate of heaven changes, but who can alter it?"

The glory of the Han dynasty has faded; who will succeed it?

The courtiers were in an uproar. Looking up, they saw the tiny figure on the dragon throne pull out the emperor's sword from the table, his face contorted in a ferocious expression.

Emperor Taizu Gaozu once said: "If a non-Liu family member becomes king after establishing the White Horse Alliance, the whole world will attack him."

Now the Prime Minister is unwilling to obey the imperial edict to punish the rebels, and the feudal lords each harbor rebellious intentions.

Yuan Shikai's rampant arrogance is intolerable!
"I, the Emperor, shall personally lead the expedition to pacify Huainan!"

The courtiers were all astonished!

In an instant, both the Emperor's faction and the Cao faction stood united once again, shouting in unison, "Absolutely not!"

"How can a ruler, who bears the weight of the imperial regalia, personally risk his life?"

"Your Majesty should prioritize the fate of the nation!"

"Your Majesty, please consider this carefully. War is dangerous and perilous. If something were to happen, how could the Han Dynasty survive?"

"Where does the Han dynasty still exist?"
Even if I did not personally lead the expedition and instead sat in Luoyang, would the Han dynasty have survived?
He became king!

Today you're a king, tomorrow an emperor, and in the future you'll rule the world?

At that time, all of you will have a future!

Do I even have a future?

"Does the Han Dynasty still have a future?"

"I am terrified!"

"Your Majesty is serious."

"I am waiting for death!"

The courtiers were in an uproar, and the emperor was furious. At that moment, a man with a dignified and meticulous appearance emerged, holding a scepter.

He declared loudly:
"These treacherous rebels, brazenly and openly, sent a petition to the central government requesting that he be granted the title of king!"
Our great Han Dynasty has endured four hundred years of glory and has never suffered such humiliation!
A subject dies for his lord's honor. Today, the emperor is humiliated. If you do not die for your lord, when will you?
Your Majesty says there are no loyal and upright officials in the court. Your subject, Kong Rong, the Minister of the Imperial Household, shall be the one to be loyal and upright!

The Han dynasty's four-hundred-year reign may not have ended abruptly, but those who uphold righteousness and die for their principles began with me.

He turned and looked at the assembled officials.

"The glory of the Han dynasty has faded, and I will now die for it."

"After my death, you shall not act unjustly."

After speaking, Kong Rong struck his head against a pillar to uphold his loyalty as a subject.

Though dead, his eyes were still filled with blood and tears, and his clothes were neat and tidy.

The courtiers were speechless; not a sound could be heard.

At this moment, the emperor, his ministers, Cao's faction, and the emperor's faction—whoever they were—were all speechless and deeply moved by this sudden turn of events.

"Kong Beihai!"

Liu Bei stepped forward, and looking at Kong Rong's bloodied and mangled body, he couldn't stop crying.

He spoke slowly and deliberately, bowing to the emperor and saying:

"Your subject is Liu Bei, General of the Rear of the Han Dynasty."

"I am willing to obey the imperial edict to suppress the rebels and quell the chaos for Your Majesty."

(End of this chapter)