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

Chapter 32 Lord Xuande, are you still weaving mats?

[Liu Xuande personally wrote:]

Lord Xuande, are you still weaving mats?

Since the traitors brought chaos to the people, and since we parted ways to fight Dong Zhuo, six years have passed.

At Sishui Pass, the feudal lords warmed wine and kept him company, while Guan Yu slew Hua Xiong with his sword.
At Hulao Pass, you three heroes fought against Lü Bu, shocking all the heroes of the world.

What heroic spirit! I still remember it to this day.

Recently, Chang'an was thrown into chaos, the emperor fled east to Luoyang, the people of the Central Plains suffered, and the nation faced the threat of collapse.

At this critical moment for our nation and the survival of the Han dynasty, I dare ask you, soldiers and archers, where are you now, you members of the Han imperial family?
I have long heard that Cao Cao is a ruthless and ambitious man! Now that he occupies the lands of Yan and Yu, isolating himself from the outside world, he will surely use his disloyal intentions to kidnap the emperor. How is his wolfish behavior any different from that of Li and Guo?

Now, by imperial decree, I have been appointed Grand General. I will issue a proclamation to proclaim the great cause to the four seas and to call upon the lords of the nine provinces to come to the capital to defend the emperor. I will ensure that the supreme emperor does not fall into the hands of traitors.

Liu Bei, Governor of Xu Province, received the General's order:
Upon receiving the proclamation, troops marched out of Langya to attack Lu State and advance towards Shanyang, cutting off Cao Cao's army's connection with the eastern part of Yanzhou, preventing them from coordinating their efforts from the east and west.

Supporting the nation and welcoming the emperor, restoring the Han dynasty and saving the nation from collapse—it all depends on you and me; let's look to this day.

Lord Xuande, let's meet in Luoyang before the Emperor's palace!

After reading the article, Liu Bei stood there for a long time, frowning and remaining silent.

Zhang Fei, impatient, scratched his head and asked, "Brother, what time is it? Why are you still reading the letter?"
"Give us a answer: are we going to save the Emperor or not? In my opinion, Cao Cao and the two Yuan brothers are no match for us. Anyone who dares to stop us from saving the Emperor is a traitor. We'll beat them to a pulp!"

"Third brother, stop talking nonsense. Your elder brother will make his own decision."

When Guan Yu fixed his gaze on him with cold arrogance, Zhang Fei immediately deflated, his voice growing increasingly low, "I was just worried about my elder brother."

"Third brother, don't be hasty. The contents of this letter are quite strange. Let me think about it for a while."

Liu Bei handed the letter to them to read. "Yuan Shu claims that Cao Cao has rebellious intentions and intends to kidnap the emperor. He wants to use the emperor's edict and the general's order to issue a proclamation to all the lords of the world to form an alliance to attack Cao Cao. He requests that I send troops out of Langya to cooperate with him."

"How could Yuan Shu have an imperial edict and be appointed as a general?"
To ridicule my elder brother's past deeds of weaving mats like this, I think he's no different from Cao Cao.

"I didn't believe it at first either, but..."

Liu Bei gestured to the imperial edict he held in his hand, saying, "Just now I was wondering how the emperor knew about me, Liu Xuande."
Now it seems that this imperial edict is not only mine, but also that of all the feudal lords. Since I am a pillar of the state, it is not unreasonable for Yuan Gonglu, whose family has held high office for four generations and who enjoys great prestige in the court, to be appointed as a Grand General.

"this"

Zhang Fei paused slightly, still unconvinced, "It seems that the young emperor is not a good person either. Why bother issuing a wide-ranging decree? Yuan Gonglu can become a general, while my elder brother, a member of the Han imperial family and an imperial uncle, only gets the title of pillar of the country?"

"Third brother, stop talking nonsense and causing trouble for your elder brother!"

With a shout that stopped Zhang Fei, Guan Yu blushed, his phoenix eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at Liu Bei, stroking his long beard with a calm and composed demeanor.

"In my opinion, elder brother, regardless of whether Yuan Shu's claims about the imperial edict and the Grand General's matter are true or false, we should assume they are true."

Now, the only one standing between the Emperor and his elder brother is Cao Cao!
If Yuan Shu were to lead an alliance to attack Cao Cao, and other warlords across the land were to respond, then there might well be an opportunity to pass through Yan and Yu provinces, enter Luoyang, and welcome the emperor.

Jian Yong, Mi Zhu, Sun Qian and others around him also echoed, "Cao Cao and Yuan Shu are both not good people. In this chaotic world, the only one who truly wants to go to Luoyang to serve the emperor and save him is you, my lord."

"Now we can feign support for Yuan Shao in attacking Cao Cao, while secretly plotting to seize Luoyang and welcome the Emperor."

Zhang Fei was much more pragmatic about this matter: "Why waste time talking so much nonsense? Forget about Cao Cao and Yuan Shu. It would be a good thing if we could take this opportunity to conquer some prefectures and counties in Yanzhou and expand our power, my brother."

Liu Bei looked at his ministers and a sense of helplessness rose in his heart. The one who was most resourceful and could offer advice was actually his second brother, Guan Yu.
Suddenly, his gaze fell upon a person in the arena. The person wore a tall hat and wide belt, had eyes like bright stars, and lowered his brows, showing no interest in what was happening in the arena.

"Yuanlong, why don't you say something?"

Liu Bei's expression brightened, and he stepped forward to bow and say:

"At present, we are in a chaotic world, with heroes rising up everywhere, the world falling apart, the people suffering from years of hardship, and the emperor in exile."

"The Han dynasty is in decline, and the feudal lords hold power. I, Liu Bei, overestimate my abilities and wish to uphold justice for the world, but I regret my lack of talent and learning, and my weak position. I only hope that Your Majesty will consider the well-being of the people and the nation, and enlighten my ignorance with your teachings." Chen Deng dared not accept such a great courtesy and quickly stepped aside, his expression full of emotion.

"Cao Cao and Yuan Shao are like tigers and wolves surrounding Xuzhou, while you, my lord, are like a lamb!"
Now that tigers and wolves are fighting, regardless of victory or defeat, you, my lord, can sit in Xuzhou and reap the benefits. You should seize this opportunity to develop yourself, recruit soldiers and horses, and consolidate your foundation.

The struggle for the throne is fierce, with numerous warlords vying for power. Whether their pronouncements are official documents or forged edicts, whether they are compliant to the emperor or attempt to seize him, why should Your Majesty get involved in this mess?

“What you say, sir, is a far-sighted plan.”

Liu Bei respectfully bows again.

"However, all the feudal lords pursue profit, but only I pursue righteousness. All the feudal lords are violent, but I am benevolent. Now, for personal gain, I will not abandon my loyalty and integrity."

If I can save the emperor, rescue the people, restore the Han dynasty, and return to the old capital, I will be able to die ten thousand times and still smile in the netherworld.

"If Yuanlong does not teach me, what will become of the common people?"

Chen Deng sighed deeply, then pointed in the direction of Xiaopei, "Since you have made up your mind, why not send an envoy to Xiaopei to summon Lü Bu?"

If I am not mistaken, he should also urgently seek out the governor, who may be of assistance.

However, Lü Bu is a treacherous dog who killed his lord, opportunistic and fickle. You may use him, but you cannot trust him. You must be constantly vigilant and wary.

“Fengxian? Does Yuanlong mean that he also received an imperial edict? Yes, he once executed the traitor Dong Zhuo to restore order to the world. If the emperor issues an edict, he must be involved.”

Having received the guidance, Liu Bei bowed again and then made arrangements for troop preparations and sending someone to summon Lü Bu, among other things.

Inside the hall, everyone dispersed, but Chen Deng stared in the direction Liu Bei had left, remaining silent for a long time.

[Though I have overestimated my abilities, I wish to uphold righteousness for the world. Even if I die ten thousand times, I will smile in the afterlife.]

That image of loyalty and righteousness is still vivid in my mind!

The three brothers stood together, all exuding heroic spirit, which made him quite envious.

Lord Xuande! You truly are someone I both love and hate.

He chose a lord to serve in Xuzhou, and among all the feudal lords in the world, there was none as benevolent and righteous as Xuande.

Because of this sense of righteousness, he feared it would be difficult to survive in a chaotic world, which made him dare not entrust the lives of his family to him.

It was because of this benevolence and righteousness that he was able to appear in the chaotic world, which made him even more reluctant to part with him, and he couldn't help but offer words of advice.

If just now, Xuande had truly followed his plan, remained in Xuzhou to await the opportune moment, and watched from across the river as the various lords vied for the throne.

Then Chen Yuanlong truly couldn't bear to part with him.

Xiao Pei.

Lü Bu also urgently summoned Chen Gong to discuss important matters. As the two were plotting together, they heard a report from an armored soldier: "Liu Xuande has sent an envoy to summon you!"

Chen Gong laughed and said, "This must be Chen Yuanlong's scheme."

"How can Gongtai teach me?"

"General, you may leave."

After speaking, he handed the letter from Yuan Shu that they had just discussed to Lü Bu.

"There is only one thing: General, you must not agree to join forces with him. Instead, you should say that you must obey the 'Great General's' order to send troops out of Pei State to attack Jiyin and directly strike at Chenliu, Dongjun, and other places in Cao Cao's heartland."

This alone, regardless of success or failure, can provide a foundation for the general's future.

(End of this chapter)