The Later Three Kingdoms: Slaying Deng Ai, and Reviving the Han Dynasty

Chapter 135 Seizing Power (Part 1) (Ten chapters, please subscribe and vote)

Huang Chong had once worked as a physician, but now the situation was chaotic, and the people in the palace were already preoccupied with their own problems.

Huang Chong easily entered the palace and found someone to request an audience with Huang Hao.

Huang Hao was in the palace accompanying Liu Shan. Although the country might be on the verge of collapse, wasn't it not already dead?

As long as the country did not perish, Liu Shan would still be the emperor and would still have value. Upon learning that Huang Chong was looking for him, Huang Hao was startled, and unpleasant memories resurfaced.

Huang Chong disliked him and never gave him a kind look.

He would never have met Huang Chong before, but now the country is on the verge of collapse, and Huang Chong is Liu Chen's tutor.

It was his recommendation that I went there.

Thinking of this, Huang Hao said something to the bewildered Liu Shan and immediately left the palace to see Huang Chong.

He couldn't help but wonder what Liu Chen wanted to talk to him about.

The court is now in chaos; Liu Shan has played all his cards. First, Liu Shan formally ordered the construction of a temple for Zhuge Liang in Mianyang.

I'll cling to the Prime Minister's coattails for now, hoping that his spirit in heaven will ensure the longevity of the Han Dynasty.

In addition, orders were issued to General Yan Yu, the Governor of Yong'an, and General Huo Yi, the Governor of An'nan and the Prefect of Jianning, to send troops to Chengdu for rescue.

He also sent envoys to the Zhaolie Temple to pray for peace.

Liu Shan's reaction was faster than ever before.

Huang Hao and Huang Chong met in a small room. After exchanging a few words, Huang Chong left.

Huang Hao was left alone, his expression uncertain. Liu Chen was right. Although Zhuge Zhan hadn't explicitly said he wanted to kill him like Jiang Wei had, he disliked him just as much.

If Zhuge Zhan were to be given sole command of the military, it would be a huge problem.

In these chaotic times, the importance of military power is beyond question. Liu Chen is different; he's one of his own, sending him money every month.

They're in cahoots.

But Liu Chen was a vassal king. How could a vassal king wear a general's seal and go out to act as a military supervisor?

Both within and outside the government...

Bah! The country is on the verge of collapse. Nobody cares about these things anymore. Besides, the emperor is completely disoriented.

They acted like frightened children, believing whatever they were told.

Thinking of this, Huang Hao immediately left the room in a hurry and returned to his palace to see Liu Shan.

Liu Shan was still crying uncontrollably. He looked as terrified as a young child.

Liu Shan listened to Huang Hao finish speaking while still weeping. His eyes lit up, he temporarily stopped crying, and nodded repeatedly, saying, "That's right. How could I forget? The Crown Prince and the other princes still have several thousand guards."

Then, he hesitated and asked, "But the Northern King is unruly; can he shoulder such an important responsibility?"

"How about letting the Crown Prince lead the troops?" he asked Huang Hao again.

"The Crown Prince is nothing! I heard he's practically paralyzed. He can't even mount a horse with help." Huang Hao cursed inwardly, though he was also nearly paralyzed, much better off than the Crown Prince, and his intelligence system was still functioning normally.

He took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Your Majesty, although the Prince of Beidi is unruly, he is fierce and skilled in riding and archery. No one among the Crown Prince and other princes can compare to him. Letting him command the troops is the most appropriate course of action."

"Alright." Upon hearing this, Liu Shan did not hesitate any longer and immediately ordered, "Order people to prepare immediately... the seal of the General of the Coffin, and to promote the Prince of Beidi to the rank of General, and appoint him as Zhuge Qing's military supervisor."

"Yes," Huang Hao responded loudly, then found someone who could draft the edict and immediately sent someone to do it.

Amidst the chaos of war, many of Liu Shan's close advisors fled.

Not long after, the physician, carrying an imperial staff, transformed into an angel and rode in a carriage straight to Liu Chen's residence in Chengdu.

Liu Shan endured until the very end, not daring to neglect the angel, and respectfully welcomed him in, accepting the seal of the General of the Coffin. However, he felt uneasy. The general was certainly a good general, but the title… But there was nothing he could do; the title of General of the Coffin wasn't something Liu Shan had come up with on a whim, but a general's title that existed in the Western Han Dynasty.

After Liu Chen accepted the seal, the angel left. Liu Chen hung the seal on his waist, along with the seal of the King of the North.

A smile appeared on his face. It was simple and smooth. Huang Hao was too easy to manipulate, and as for Zhuge Zhan, he was easy to deal with as well.

Liu Chen gripped his sword hilt, his smile fading. He said to Zhang Sheng, "Minister Zhang, immediately go outside the city and summon my guards. First, go to the Crown Prince's palace and annex his guards. If the Crown Prince refuses, force him."

He then handed the imperial edict to Zhang Sheng, which stated, "After annexing the Crown Prince's troops, we will go out of the city and annex the troops of the other princes."

Seeing the plan going smoothly, Zhang Sheng was extremely excited. He took a deep breath, bent down, and said in a loud voice:

;

yes."

Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly stopped, turned around, bowed to Liu Chen, and said, "Your Majesty."

"Go ahead," Liu Chen said with a smile.

Zhang Sheng nodded and left with the imperial edict given to him by Liu Chen.

When news spread that Liu Chen had been appointed General of the Coffin and Commander of the armies of the various princes, and that Zhuge Zhan would be in charge of supervising the army.

Even though the country is on the verge of collapse, the world is already absurd enough.

But it still left everyone speechless.

Liu Chen, the King of the North?! That arrogant and domineering King of the North who bullies men and women? He can become a general?

And he also has to serve as a military supervisor?

The emperor has truly gone mad.

No, perhaps the emperor has been insane for many years. Otherwise, how could he allow someone like Huang Hao to monopolize power and bring the country to this state?

Come on, let them destroy it then.

Qiaozhou Mansion.

Many ministers had stopped going to work. Qiao Zhou was one of them. He ordered the gates of his residence to be closed and ordered able-bodied men to patrol and stand guard with sticks to prevent mutinous soldiers and thieves from taking his life.

He was about to enter Wei, and his life was of utmost importance. It was his life that ensured the eternal official positions of his children and grandchildren.

In the study of the inner quarters.

Qiao Zhou was initially restless, feeling both nervous and excited, thrilled yet calm. He paced back and forth with his hands behind his back.

The stalemate at Hanzhong was already what he considered the ideal situation. This battle would have meant the absolute destruction of the Shu Kingdom.

Unexpectedly, Deng Ai attacked from Yinping Road and captured Fucheng.

The fall of the Shu Kingdom was thus brought forward considerably.

With such a monumental achievement within reach, he couldn't remain calm. Qiao Xi hurriedly entered from outside and reported to his father the news of Liu Chen leading the troops.

Qiao Zhou was stunned for a long time, then burst into wild laughter: "Hahahaha, hahaha. I'm dying of laughter, I'm dying of laughter."

He laughed so hard he could barely breathe, which terrified Qiao Xi, who feared his father might laugh himself to death.

Qiao Zhou laughed for a while, then stopped, sat down cross-legged leisurely, looked up at his son and said, "Fa Zheng once said that Xu Jing was a man in name only. And Zhuge Zhan, the son of Prime Minister Zhuge, is also a man in name only."

"His reputation is entirely due to the blessings of Prime Minister Zhuge Liang, imposed upon him by the people and officials. If he leads troops into battle, his entire army will surely be wiped out."

"Liu Chen is cunning and cruel, and unkind to the king. It was truly a stroke of good fortune that he became Zhuge Zhan's military supervisor. Their heads will be transported thousands of miles to be displayed on the walls of Luoyang. My son, we have finally waited for the end. It has not been easy." Qiao Zhou said, his nose tingling and he felt an urge to cry.

Although Liu Shan was not a warrior and wouldn't kill him, he was still extremely cautious and walked on thin ice the whole way.

But thankfully, the result was good, very good.

"Yes." Qiao Xi took a deep breath, smiled, and bowed to his father, his face showing anticipation.

Wei Chen, it's the Nine-Rank System.

As long as one's ancestors held official positions, their descendants would hold official positions generation after generation, endlessly.

What a wonderful Wei Dynasty!