Han Ji

In March, Liu Bei was assigned to participate in the revision of the Han Law.

This was a project overseen by Liu Kuan, the Grand Master of Ceremonies, who selected officials from the court who were well-versed in law. Liu Bei was chosen because he had accumulated rich practical experience during his tenure as the Commandant of the Northern Garrison.

The revision work was demanding, often requiring me to stay up late.

But Liu Bei enjoyed it. This was his first time participating in national-level legislative work, and he was able to incorporate his understanding of the law into it.

He was responsible for revising the "Theft Law" and the "Arrest Law".

Based on his experience handling cases in the north, he offered several suggestions for revision: First, refine the sentencing standards for theft, differentiating them according to the amount involved and the circumstances. Second, improve the arrest procedures and protect the rights of suspects. Third, severely punish false accusations and prevent abuse of the judiciary.

The suggestion was submitted, and Liu Kuan took it very seriously, organizing a discussion.

Ultimately, most of them were adopted.

The revision process lasted three months. In June, the new Han Law was promulgated throughout the land.

Liu Bei was rewarded with 50,000 coins and 100 bolts of silk for his outstanding contributions.

This time, he still didn't keep any; he donated most of it to the Imperial Academy and a small portion to his colleagues who participated in the revision.

Upon hearing this, Liu Kuan summoned him for a talk.

"Xuande, you did very well this time." Liu Kuan looked at him, "but I must remind you, the tallest tree in the forest is the first to be felled by the wind. You are too prominent now, so be careful."

"The student understands."

"Good that you understand." Liu Kuan paused for a moment. "His Majesty may be giving you an important position soon. But remember this: when serving His Majesty, you must be loyal, but you must also know your limits. There are some things you can do but not say, and some things you can say but not do."

"Students, please remember this."

In July, the prophecy came true.

Emperor Ling issued an edict appointing Liu Bei as a concurrent Shangshu Lang (a court official) to handle confidential documents of the Shangshu Tai (the Secretariat).

The Secretariat was the central government office, in charge of all official documents. Entering it meant formally entering the core of power.

Liu Bei went to report for duty.

The Minister of the Imperial Secretariat was Cao Jie, an old eunuch with extremely deep cunning. When he met Liu Bei, he gave a forced, insincere smile.

"Vice Minister Liu is young and promising, and His Majesty has personally appointed him; this is truly a cause for celebration. The affairs of the Secretariat are numerous and complex; I hope you will study diligently."

"Thank you for your guidance, Magistrate Cao."

Liu Bei was assigned to Cao Cao's office, where he was responsible for compiling reports from various regions and drafting replies.

In August, he received a report: In Julu County, Jizhou, there was a leader of the Taiping Dao, Zhang Jiao, who used talismanic water to cure diseases and had gathered tens of thousands of followers. The prefect requested the court to pay attention to the matter.

Taiping Dao?

Liu Bei frowned, recalling the descriptions of the Taiping Dao followers in the book he remembered. They wore yellow robes and yellow turbans, proclaiming that the Azure Heaven was dead and the Yellow Heaven should rise.

After much deliberation, he finally picked up his pen and drafted his opinion: "The number of people gathering in the Taiping Dao is increasing daily. Local authorities should be instructed to strictly supervise them to prevent any unrest."

The suggestions were submitted, but they disappeared without a trace.

Indeed, the imperial court is currently overwhelmed with problems and has no energy to deal with these matters.

In October, Emperor Ling changed the era name.

The seventh year of Guanghe was renamed the first year of Zhongping.

The imperial edict stated: "I have inherited the glorious achievements of my ancestors, but I fear I am not up to the task. Therefore, I am changing the era name to Zhongping, hoping to usher in a new beginning for the world and achieve peace."

Renewal? Peace?

Liu Bei looked at the imperial edict and smiled bitterly to himself.

Can this dynasty ever be reformed?

he does not know.

But he knew that he still had to continue on his path.

Thus began the first year of the Zhongping era.

The first month of the first year of Zhongping.

Liu Bei was on night duty at the Imperial Secretariat, sorting through congratulatory messages sent from various regions. Meanwhile, the palace was celebrating the new year and the change of reign title.

But he felt uneasy.

In recent months, reports from various regions have increasingly highlighted the Taiping Dao (Way of Great Peace). In Qingzhou, Xuzhou, Youzhou, and other places, believers have gathered, often numbering in the thousands or even tens of thousands.

He drafted his opinions multiple times and urged the court to pay attention, but they were all suppressed.

Cao Jie even privately warned him: "Vice Minister Liu, His Majesty will make the final decision on matters of the Way of Peace. Just do your job and don't meddle in other people's business."

He had no choice but to shut up.

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, he took a day off and went home.

Jian Yong and Zhang Wu had prepared a table of dishes, and the three of them were eating when there was a rapid knocking on the door.

Zhang Wu went to open the door, where a courier, looking travel-worn, handed him a letter.

"An urgent letter from Zhuojun, addressed to Vice Minister Liu."

Liu Bei took it, opened it, and with a tremor of his hand, the letter fluttered to the ground.

"What's wrong?" Jian Yong asked.

Liu Bei's voice trembled: "My uncle... has passed away."

The room fell silent instantly.

Liu Yuanqi, the uncle who lent a helping hand when he was in his most difficult time, the uncle who watched him grow up and sent him to Luoyang to study, is gone.

The letter was written by my mother. It said that Liu Yuanqi's condition worsened in the twelfth lunar month, and he passed away on the twelfth day of the first lunar month. Before his death, he kept telling me to do my job well and not to let the court down.

Liu Bei clutched the letter, his eyes reddening.

"I need to go back." He stood up. "I need to take leave and go back to Zhuojun."

"Now?" Jian Yong frowned. "The court has just changed its reign title and is very busy. Can you grant me leave?"

"You have to approve it, no matter what," Liu Bei said firmly. "My uncle treated me like a son, and I cannot fail to see him off on his final journey."

That night, he wrote a memorial requesting leave and submitted it early the next morning.

Cao Jie frowned after reading it: "Minister Liu, now is precisely the time when we need capable people..."

"Cao Ling, my father died early, and my uncle treated me like his own son. Now that my uncle has passed away, as his nephew, I should return to my hometown for the funeral. This is a matter of great human righteousness, and I hope that you, Cao Ling, will grant my request."

Having said that, Cao Jie couldn't stop him any longer.

"You're granted a month's leave. Go quickly and return promptly."

"Thank you, Magistrate Cao."

Liu Bei set off that very day, and Jian Yong helped him with his work.

The carriage slowly drove into the territory of Zhuojun.

Snowflakes fell like torn cotton, turning the official road into a frozen muddy ditch. Liu Bei's carriage wheels sank into the mud three times, and Zhang Wu jumped down to push them, his boots filling with snow water.

"Minister! There's light ahead!"

Liu Bei lifted the carriage curtain. A dim, yellowish light shone through the snow, revealing the outline of an inn. He nodded: "Let's go."

We could hear the noise from several dozen steps away.

It wasn't the usual noise of a restaurant. It was the dull thud of something heavy hitting the ground, mixed with shouts.

Zhang Wu, gripping his sword, exclaimed, "Something's not right ahead!"

In the open space outside the restaurant, two large grain carts were overturned by the roadside. A dozen or so men wielding sticks formed a circle around two people.

Standing face to face.

The one on the left is a dark-faced man with a leopard-like head and bulging eyes, wielding a jujube wood bar as thick as a bowl.

The person I was facing—

Liu Bei seemed to stop breathing.

The man was extremely tall, with a two-foot-long beard and a face as red as a jujube. Snow fell on his shoulders, accumulating in a thin layer. In his hand was a crescent-shaped blade, its tip resembling a new moon, the edge gleaming blue in the snow.

A dozen or so people surrounded him, but none could get within three feet of him.

"Red-faced thief!" the dark-faced man roared, panting. "The car is mine! You think you're in the right to rob me?!"

The red-faced man parried the wooden stick that came at his side with the back of his knife, his voice as deep as pounding the ground: "He said, pay up, and leave."

"You'll pay for your mother's!"

The dark-faced man suddenly exerted his strength, and the jujube wood bar whistled as it smashed towards the red-faced man.

The red-faced man thrust his knife hilt forward, and it clanged against the top of the bar. The black-faced man's arm jerked, and the bar veered off course, crashing half a foot into the snow.

The people around were panting and dared not go any further.