Brother, stop curling up! You're curling up like the founder of the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 230 Que proclaims himself emperor, Liu Bei faces another deadly trap (Seeking subscriptions and monthly votes)
Meanwhile, in the Chen family mansion.

The brothers Chen Gui and Chen Yu also learned through the Chen family's channels that Liu Bei had concealed his identity and entered Xuzhou with Zhao Yun, the Grand Master of Ceremonies.

"It seems Liu Bei has come here to deal with my Chen family."

Chen Yu sneered; the disrespect was evident simply from the way he addressed Liu Bei.

"When Yuan Shu was in Shouchun, he wrote to my brother, wanting to ask him to join him in accomplishing great things. However, my brother believed that Liu Bei was wise and powerful and was in line with the times, so he would rather die than submit to Yuan Shu."

"Looking back now, it was the right path for the Chen family to ally with Yuan Shu at that time."

Chen Gui came from a prominent aristocratic family, and both he and Yuan Shu were descendants of ducal families, and they had been friends since childhood.

Therefore, when Yuan Shu was in Shouchun, he wanted to win over Chen Gui by virtue of their past relationship. At that time, Chen Gui chose to support Gai Xun and sternly rejected Yuan Shu's attempt to win him over.

To this end, Yuan Shu also captured Chen Gui's second son, Chen Ying, to threaten Chen Gui.

To this day, Chen Yingdu is still under Yuan Shu's command.

Initially, Chen Yu did not want the Chen family of Xiapi to submit to Yuan Shu.

After all, they used to play together and were all equals. Now that Yuan Shu has come and said, "From now on, I will be the ruler and you will be the subject," Chen Yu does not want to suffer this humiliation.

However, as Liu Bei's new policies were implemented, Chen Yu discovered that Liu Bei did not prioritize the interests of the people, but instead insisted on establishing a life for the common people.

Without scholars and commoners, where would the common people come from?

Without these aristocratic families governing the country, how could the common people have enough to eat and wear?
Without the books passed down by these aristocratic families, how would commoners understand propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame?
Commoners are a group of people who will devise wicked schemes just to eat and wear. If the harvest is bad, they will turn to thievery. To make a living for the common people is to become a thief leader.

Chen Yu held Liu Bei in contempt.

If Liu Bei had treated his people well, the world would have been at peace long ago, given his repeated victories.

As long as Liu Bei is willing to prioritize the interests of the people, Chen Yu is also willing to call Liu Bei the greatest emperor of all time.

However, Liu Bei completely disregarded the interests of the gentry and common people, even believing that the gentry and common people were exploiting the common people too much, which was why the common people were starving and cold, leading some to join the Yellow Turban Rebellion and causing national turmoil.

This made Chen Yu even more contemptuous of Liu Bei.

Born a commoner, he was indeed shallow in knowledge and experience.

Chen Gui remained silent.

Chen Gui was also aware of what Chen Yu had said.

Chen Gui originally thought that Liu Bei was a wise and powerful ruler who was in line with the times and could restore the country's criminal law, eliminate evil people, and bring peace to the world.

Unexpectedly, Liu Bei's wisdom and martial prowess were evident, his fortunes were aligned with the times, he restored the national criminal law, and brought stability to his territory. However, the vicious people he eliminated included powerful and influential families from various prefectures and counties.

Chen Gui found this extremely incomprehensible.

Do ordinary people really have the ability to govern a country?

The gentry have family traditions of learning and are familiar with the court's etiquette and norms. Now that the eunuchs have been executed, the court should make good use of these learned gentry families in order to restore the rites and music.

The gentry had a heart that cared for the world, and would not indiscriminately kill innocent people like the Yellow Turban rebels.

If the vicious people only included that group of powerful figures, Chen Gui would not have reacted too strongly.

Just like the Mi brothers, Mi Zhu and Mi Fang, Chen Gui had always looked down on them. In Chen Gui's eyes, the Mi brothers were no different from nouveau riche.

Although he had money and grain, he had not read much of the classics, did not understand the principles of governing a country, and had no sense of propriety or music in his demeanor.

However, Liu Bei grouped all the powerful and influential families together, and these families, being powerful figures, were all categorized by Liu Bei as vicious people he wanted to eliminate.

Before this, Gai Xun turned a blind eye, and Sun Jian did not forcefully implement the new policies.

Although Chen Gui harbored resentment, he did not show it. He also believed that once the country was unified, the old policies could be abolished and the new ones reinstated.

However, today, Liu Bei, concealing his identity, and Zhao Yun, the Grand Master of Ceremonies, are inspecting Xuzhou. This clearly indicates dissatisfaction with the current state of the new policies in Xuzhou and a preparation to personally enter Xuzhou to oversee their implementation.

“That may be true, but His Majesty has conquered the Central Plains through military campaigns and his prestige is immense. Even if he targets the Chen family, what can we do?” Chen Gui sighed, his face filled with worry.

If Liu Bei were just a figure like Wang Mang, Chen Gui wouldn't be afraid at all.

However, Liu Bei was a military figure who annihilated bandits, and the impression that his 20,000 troops crushed hundreds of thousands of rebels in three provinces is still hard for Chen Gui to forget.

Yuan Shao in the north and Yuan Shu in the south both had accumulated wealth over a century and received support from powerful clans who were dissatisfied with Liu Bei's new policies, yet they were still utterly defeated by Liu Bei.

Yuan Shu would rather fight Liu Biao than march north to Yu and Xu provinces.

Although Yuan Shao wanted to fight Liu Bei, he lost territory and troops every time he fought.

Now that Liu Bei is about to personally visit Xuzhou, Chen Gui can't think of any strategy to counter Liu Bei.

Chen Yu sneered, "Brother, why do you boost the morale of others while diminishing your own? If Liu Bei were to send a large army to Xuzhou, I would still be somewhat afraid of him. Now that only a thousand or so cavalry have entered Xuzhou, what is there to fear?"

"Since he has concealed his identity, let him die quietly in Xuzhou. Then you and I, brothers, can support Liu Xie, who was deposed by Liu Bei, to ascend the throne and become emperor. After that, we can wipe out Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, and our Chen family will still reign supreme over the world!"

Hearing Chen Yu's audacious words, Chen Gui couldn't help but exclaim, "Gongwei, you shouldn't speak so recklessly. Although Liu Bei only has a thousand or so cavalry, Sun Jian still has several thousand soldiers. In Yuzhou, there are also Liu Bei's three battalions of Lingyan Army and three thousand loyal Gebei soldiers, all of whom are well-equipped and skilled in battle."

“How could we possibly kill Liu Bei? Even if we did, would his trusted confidants, former subordinates, and former officials let it go? I have also heard that Empress Cai is pregnant, and if it is a son, she will surely be supported by Liu Bei’s former subordinates to become emperor.”

"You're wiping out the Chen clan!"

Although Chen Gui deeply resented Liu Bei's new policies, he was not arrogant enough to think he could rival Liu Bei.

In contrast, Chen Yu boldly declared that he would let Liu Bei die quietly in Xuzhou!

Seeing Chen Gui's timidity, Chen Yu further urged, "I don't believe that all of Liu Bei's trusted confidants, former officials, and former subordinates are willing to support the new policies. As long as some people are dissatisfied, they will support us in supporting Liu Xie's ascension to the throne."

"Even if not, given your relationship with Yuan Shu, as long as you're willing to yield and submit to him, you can still leverage the Yuan family's power to ensure the Chen family's continued prosperity in Xiapi for generations."

Chen Gui hesitated for a moment: "Why don't we summon Yuan Long back to discuss this?"

Chen Yu hurriedly stopped him: "You absolutely must not tell Yuanlong! Yuanlong greatly admires Liu Bei and supports the new policies. If it weren't for our objections, the entire Chen family business would have been given to Liu Bei by Yuanlong!"

“Brother, you have more than one son, Yuanlong. He has been well-fed and clothed since childhood and thinks he can achieve his grand ambitions without relying on the Chen family business. He even wants to become a noble and virtuous scholar. How foolish he is.”

"If it weren't for the Chen family's long-standing reputation, could he have been recommended as a filial and incorruptible official and appointed as the magistrate of Dongyang County at the age of twenty-five? He ate the Chen family's food but then smashed the Chen family's pot. Only a kind elder brother would tolerate this unfilial son. If it were me, I would have already punished him according to family rules."

The mere mention of Chen Deng filled Chen Yu with rage. All those years of studying had been for nothing; without his family, where would he be?

They had to believe Liu Bei's twisted and heretical logic that only by securing the livelihood of the common people could the world be at peace.

Chen Gui sighed, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping himself.

Although Chen Gui angrily cursed Chen Deng as an unfilial son, he had to admit that among his sons, Chen Deng was the most talented.

The rest of his sons, such as Chen Ying, were extremely mediocre.

On one hand, there's the unfilial son who doesn't prioritize his family; on the other, there's the most talented and resourceful prodigy. These two opposing sides leave Chen Gui in a dilemma.

Discussion room.

Mi Fang, a messenger, sought an audience with the emperor.

“Mi Fang?” Chen Yu’s eyes flashed with disdain. “It seems that Brother Mi Zhu has also received the news. He wants to test my brother’s attitude. Since you are hesitant, why not let the Mi brothers take the lead? These powerful families who have risen to power by chance have shallow foundations and are most afraid of the new policies.”

“Even if we brothers respond to the new policy, we can still revive our family with our family’s knowledge, but the Mi brothers will only be able to become ordinary people in the future.”

This time, Chen Gui did not refuse Chen Yu's suggestion and had his servants invite Mi Fang inside.

Seeing that Chen Gui and Chen Yu were both there, Mi Fang was secretly delighted. She first bowed, then told Chen Gui and Chen Yu what she had heard, and then pretended to be humble and asked Chen Gui and Chen Yu for advice.

Seeing Mi Fang's attitude, Chen Yu felt even more contempt.

But in order to let the Mi brothers take the lead, Chen Yu pretended to be grateful: "Fortunately, Zifang reminded us, otherwise the Chen family would have been destroyed by Liu Bei."

Upon hearing Chen Yu address Liu Bei by his given name, Mi Fang was both surprised and delighted. He feigned unease, saying, "It is rather inappropriate to address His Majesty by his given name directly."

Chen Yu feigned indignation: "Liu Bei is about to exterminate my Chen clan, so what's wrong with that? Zifang, did you come to find us today to use our heads to ask Liu Bei for credit?"

"If that's the case, I won't let you live today!" Chen Yu threatened, drawing his sword directly.

Mi Fang was startled and quickly said, "Lord Chen, you misunderstand. I also have grievances against Liu Bei. I came to see you two today to ask if you are willing to form an alliance to oppose Liu Bei together?"

Chen Yu stared at Mi Fang with feigned suspicion: "Who doesn't know that Liu Bei is most skilled in warfare? You, do you even deserve to rebel against Liu Bei?"

Mi Fang, his pride stirred, said, “My Mi family has over ten thousand slaves, all of whom can serve in the army; Chang Xi of Donghai is also dissatisfied with Liu Bei, so we can form an alliance. There are also Cao Bao of Tancheng, Zuo Rong of Xiapi, and Que Xuan, among others, who can also form an alliance.”

"However, although we have money, grain, and private troops, we do not have anyone skilled in commanding troops and fighting battles, nor are we renowned. If Lord Chen is willing to take the lead, we are willing to serve Lord Chen."

Chen Yu wanted the Mi brothers to lead the charge, and Mi Fang also wanted Chen Yu to be in charge.

The reason for this idea is that Liu Bei's attitude towards rebels has always been to only punish the ringleaders.

Just like when Tao Qian conspired with Cavalry Commandant Zang Ba, former Governor of Yangzhou Zhou Gan, Chancellor of Langya Yin De, Chancellor of Donghai Liu Kui, Chancellor of Pengcheng Ji Lian, Chancellor of Beihai Kong Rong, and Chancellor of Pei Yuan Zhong to plot to kill Liu Bei, Liu Bei only killed Tao Qian.

Even Cao Bao and Zuo Rong, former subordinates of Tao Qian's Danyang troops, survived.

The same applies to Liu Bei this time.

If they win, everyone will be happy; if they lose, whoever is the ringleader will have to go to Liu Bei and face the death penalty.

When Chen Yu saw that Mi Fang was actually plotting against him, he couldn't help but feel annoyed: How dare a mere commoner try to scheme against me?

However, no matter how much Chen Yu provoked Mi Fang, Mi Fang insisted on having Chen Yu or Chen Gui as the leader.

After arguing for a long time, Chen Yu also became impatient and said, "Que Xuan is arrogant. Why don't we send someone to lure him into claiming to be the emperor with the talk of omens? We can pretend to agree."

"Since we have decided to rebel, we must leave ourselves a way out. We can send someone to Jiangxia to ask Yuan Shu to send troops to help us. Even if we cannot defeat Liu Bei, we will still have a way out."

“My elder brother has a past relationship with Yuan Shu, so Yuan Shu will surely help him.”

"Zifang, are you willing to follow my plan? If you are, you can secretly allocate money and provisions to Que Xuan, and I will send a renowned scholar skilled in divination to persuade Que Xuan to declare himself emperor. My elder brother will be responsible for contacting Yuan Shu. What do you say?"

Mi Fang knew Que Xuan quite well, and seeing that Chen Yu had taken a step back, he also stepped back and said, "In that case, let's follow Lord Chen's plan."

Chen Yu further instructed, "This plan must not be known to Chen Deng or your elder brother Mi Zhu. Don't blame me for not reminding you; your elder brother Mi Zhu is just like that unfilial son Chen Deng, both of whom take pride in being recommended and appreciated by Liu Bei. You should think carefully about how to reply to your brother."

Mi Fang hesitated for a moment, then thought of Mi Zhu's desire to give away all his wealth, and replied, "Throughout history, those who have achieved great things have often failed because of their lack of secrecy in their planning. I will keep Chen Gong's wise words in mind. I will only tell my brother that Chen Gong asserted that Liu Bei's trip was aimed at Yuan Shu, not at us, so we should not act rashly."

After seeing Mi Fang off, Chen Yu sneered, "A mere commoner dares to compare himself to me."

Whether they sent renowned scholars or contacted Yuan Shu, the fire did not reach Chen Gui and Chen Yu.

Chen Yu wanted Mi Fang to lead the charge, and to decide whether to follow Mi Fang and the others in rebellion or to avoid Liu Bei's advance and head to Yangzhou, depending on Liu Bei's attitude.

Liu Bei's policy of being lenient in sending out officials but strict in sending them in also applied to Xuzhou.

If the plan fails, they can simply flee to Yuan Shu's camp and make a comeback.

Chen Gui no longer objected to Chen Yu's plan.

Neither Chen Gui nor Chen Yu were willing to directly respond to the new policy; they were unwilling to give up without taking a gamble.

After reaching an agreement with Chen Yu, Mi Fang did not tell Mi Zhu about the plan when he returned. He only said that Chen Gui and Chen Yu wanted to wait and see, so he suggested that Mi Fang also wait and see.

Mi Zhu had no doubts.

In private, however, Mi Fang secretly collaborated with Xiang Kai, a sorcerer sent by Chen Yu. Xiang Kai would first preach the Mandate of Heaven to Que Xuan, while Mi Fang would follow Xiang Kai's preached Mandate of Heaven and bring Que Xuan a large amount of gold and silver.

Xiang Kai then falsely claimed that he had foreseen that the imperial star was dim and that Liu Bei was destined to die. He encouraged Que Xuan to secretly declare himself emperor, then assassinate Liu Bei. After killing Liu Bei, he would then publicly declare himself emperor, thus seizing Liu Bei's fortune and gaining the mandate of heaven.

Who is Xiang Kai?

He was a renowned diviner who presented his "Commentary on Star Changes" twice in the ninth year of the Yanxi era. He also expounded on the 170 volumes of the "Taiping Jing" and received the auspicious divine book from the Langya Palace. He had previously encouraged Wang Fen to depose the emperor. Later, he fled to Chen Yu to avoid disaster.

Chen Yu kept Xiang Kai in his residence hoping to one day use Xiang Kai's reputation and knowledge of astronomy and yin-yang to plot something big.

Que Xuan was just a powerful figure with some martial prowess and strategic skills, but not much. He was easily fooled by Xiang Kai, a sorcerer who was proficient in astronomy and yin-yang arts, and was completely misled.

He believed it without question, genuinely thinking he was divinely ordained, and secretly proclaimed himself emperor under the instigation of Xiang Kai and Mi Fang.

Que Xuan secretly followed Xiang Kai's plan, sending his valiant general Zhang Kai to pretend to be a commoner who had been bullied by powerful figures and forced to join the Yellow Turbans, to ask Zhao Yun, the Grand Master of Ceremonies, to uphold justice, and to seize the opportunity to assassinate Liu Bei.

(End of this chapter)