Shuhan

In the bedroom of the temporary palace, the candlelight flickered, reflecting the tranquility after the beautiful scene. The emperor of the Han Dynasty, Liu Chan, and Sun Luban, had just finished making love, and they fell asleep in each other's arms, as if they were the most ordinary loving couple in the world, enjoying this moment of tenderness. Time seemed to freeze at this moment, the moon quietly climbed up to the eyebrows, and the silver light filled the window lattice, adding a bit of tenderness to this cold winter night. Outside, the whistling snow wind whistled past, mixed with fine snow particles, hitting the window lattice, making bursts of noise, but it did not disturb the tranquility in the bedroom at all.

Liu Chan's breathing had become steady and even, as if he was meeting Zhou Gong in a dream, his face was filled with satisfaction. His handsome face was more clearly defined under the candlelight, with sharp eyebrows, starry eyes, a straight nose, and thin lips. Even when he was asleep, he still exuded an extraordinary temperament. His hair was a little messy and scattered on the pillow, intertwined with Sun Luban's black hair, like two hearts blending silently.

Sun Luban lay quietly beside Liu Chan, but her eyes could not move away from this handsome face for a long time. She secretly sighed in her heart, how could there be such a handsome young man in this world? His deeds were known to the world. Whether it was his wisdom and courage or his benevolence, he became the person that women in the world wanted to be their spouses the most. She had imagined countless times to spend her life with such a hero, but she never expected that she would actually have the opportunity to be so close to him.

However, Sun Luban's heart was not filled with tenderness and love. She was originally a concubine in the palace of the Kingdom of Wei, and was deeply favored by the Queen Mother Guo of Wei. The favor was as heavy as a mountain, and she could not forget it. She recalled all the kindnesses that the Queen Mother Guo had shown her, her loving eyes, her warm care, all of which were as vivid as yesterday. But at this moment, she was lying in the arms of the monarch of the enemy country, with mixed feelings in her heart.

She knew that although Liu Chan was the monarch of an enemy country, he was not an easy target. If she did not kill him, when Luoyang fell, Queen Mother Guo would probably fall into his hands and suffer unimaginable humiliation. When she thought of this, Sun Luban felt a pain in her heart. She tightly grasped the hairpin in her hand, and the sharp tip flashed coldly under the candlelight, as if it could pierce the quiet night at any time.

Her eyes flickered, and she wanted to insert the hairpin into Liu Chan's heart several times to end this entanglement. However, every time she thought of the happiness during the previous lovemaking, an indescribable tenderness surged in her heart. She looked at Liu Chan's sleeping face and sighed quietly in her heart. She knew that she couldn't do it, she couldn't kill this man who brought her endless joy.

Sun Luban's hands trembled slightly, but she finally put the hairpin down slowly. She gently moved her body and lay back in Liu Chan's arms, feeling the warmth and peace. Her heart was full of contradictions and struggles. On the one hand, she couldn't let go of the kindness of Empress Dowager Guo, and on the other hand, she couldn't extricate herself from her deep affection for Liu Chan. She didn't know how to choose, but she only knew that at this moment she wanted to stay by his side, even if it was just for a moment of tenderness.

However, Sun Luban had never expected that after she lay down, Liu Chan's eyes, which had been tightly closed, suddenly opened. A sly light flashed in his eyes, as if he had already noticed her actions. He gently hugged Sun Luban, letting her stick closer to his chest, with a playful smile on his lips.

"Da Hu, how could I not know what you are thinking?" Liu Chan's voice was deep and magnetic, as if it could penetrate people's hearts. "Although you are a concubine of Wei, I know that you have no Wei in your heart, only me. Why do you have to be so entangled? When I unify the world, I will give you the wealth and glory you want."

Sun Luban was shocked when she heard this. She looked up at Liu Chan with astonishment in her eyes.

Then comes fear.

Your Majesty, he actually knew that you wanted to assassinate him a long time ago.

He also knew about her affair with Empress Dowager Guo.

She had never expected that he could see through her inner entanglement and struggle so easily. She wanted to defend herself, but found herself speechless. She had indeed imagined spending her life with Liu Chan and enjoying endless wealth and glory. However, the gratitude in her heart was like a shackle that she could not let go.

Liu Chan chuckled at this and reached out to gently touch Sun Luban's face. His fingers were warm and powerful, as if they could heal the wounds in her heart. "Da Hu, you don't have to do this. Gratitude and love are not incompatible. When I unify the world, I will properly settle Queen Mother Guo and let her enjoy her old age. Why do you have to dwell on the past so much?"

Sun Luban felt a warm current in her heart as she listened to Liu Chan's words. She knew she could not resist his charm, nor could she give up her deep affection for him. She hugged Liu Chan tightly and buried her head in his chest, as if she wanted to merge herself into his body. "Your Majesty, I am willing to stay with you, regardless of life or death." Her voice was trembling, but full of determination.

Liu Chan was overjoyed when he heard this. He hugged Sun Luban tightly, as if he wanted to keep her by his side forever. "Da Hu, I will never let you down. When I unify the world, I will give you the happiness you want." His voice was full of tenderness and firmness, as if it was a promise to her and also a vow to himself.

Silence returned to the bedroom again, with only the sounds of the two people's breathing intertwined together, like a moving piece of music.

The moon hangs high in the sky, casting thousands of silver rays of light.

Sun Luban took the initiative to give away everything she had with sincerity.

Tonight, the heart of a proud tiger was subdued by Liu Chan.

The next morning, as the dawn broke in the sky, the Shu Palace was already in an orderly state.

Liu Chan still maintained the habit of getting up early.

Although he spent last night in a passionate love affair with the beauty in the palace until late at night, thanks to the careful care of the great doctor Hua Tuo, his health is no longer the same as before. He is radiant and energetic.

Hua Tuo, this world-famous doctor, not only has superb medical skills, but also has unique insights into the way of health preservation.

He established strict dietary and daily living rules for Liu Chan, supplemented by specially prepared medicinal diets, so that Liu Chan could maintain a strong physique while enjoying the pleasures of an emperor.

At this moment, Liu Chan's face was ruddy, and his eyes revealed an indescribable majesty and satisfaction, as if last night's romance had not left any trace on him.

After a quick breakfast, Liu Chan put on his dragon robe, wore a pearl crown on his head, and walked steadily towards the council hall.

Although the breakfast is simple, it is delicious and tasty. It includes a few exquisite side dishes, a bowl of hot rice porridge, and a few plates of snacks. It satisfies the appetite without being too greasy to affect the spirit during the morning court.

Outside the council hall, the guards held their heads high and chests puffed out, holding spears, standing straight, like statues, guarding this sacred hall.

Inside the hall, candles were lit brightly and the atmosphere was magnificent. The dragon throne in the center was covered with soft brocade, making it look majestic and solemn.

The moment Liu Chan stepped into the council hall, the entire hall seemed to be shaken. All the ministers stood up and saluted, shouting "Long live the emperor", their voices resounding through the sky.

Liu Chan raised his hand slightly, signaling all the ministers to stand up, and then sat upright on the dragon throne, looking around, secretly thinking about the day's important state affairs.

Before Liu Chan could open his mouth, military reports came in like snowflakes, filling up his desk.

Some of these reports came from the frontiers, and some came from the court, and each one concerned the safety and prosperity of the Han Dynasty.

Liu Chan looked focused and serious while reviewing the memorials. He knew very well that as the king of a country, every memorial might contain state secrets, and every decision might affect the life and death of thousands of people.

Therefore, he treated every report with extreme caution and reviewed important reports personally, not missing any details.

Unimportant reports had already been reviewed by the Secretariat, the Prime Minister's Office and the Military Affairs Bureau, and their opinions on how to deal with them were attached.

Liu Chan only needed to take a quick look to make a decision.

However, the first memorial of the day made him frown.

This memorial is a progress report on the compilation of the "Clan Records".

Liu Chan originally gave the task of compiling the "Clan Records" to Zhang Fei, a fierce general of the Han Dynasty who was not only a martial arts expert, but also knew all the loyal and righteous people of the Han Dynasty well.

However, as Zhang Fei was getting old and weak, and his son Zhang Bao died in battle, the old man was even more exhausted, so this task was actually handed over to Fei Yi, Dong Yun and others. Liu Chan opened the memorial and saw that it listed in detail the ranking of the major clans in the Han Dynasty and the basis for the ranking.

He looked at each surname carefully, but felt a little dissatisfied.

Of course, those clans that had made outstanding achievements and huge contributions to the Han Dynasty were at the forefront, such as the families of Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun.

However, Liu Chan discovered that the ranking of some clans did not seem completely reasonable. Although some clans were powerful, their contribution to the Han Dynasty was very few, but they were still ranked at the top.

Liu Chan's brows furrowed deeper and deeper, and his eyes revealed a kind of dissatisfaction and confusion.

He thought, "The compilation of this Clan Records was originally intended to highlight the loyal and righteous people of our Han Dynasty, boost morale, and unite the people. But now this ranking seems a bit biased. If the soldiers see it, won't it chill their hearts?"

Thinking of this, Liu Chan couldn't help but feel a little angry. He looked up at the attendant standing beside him and said in a deep voice: "Go, call Fei Yi and Dong Yun. I want to ask him in person how this "Clan Records" was compiled!"

Upon hearing this, the attendant did not dare to be negligent and immediately responded and left.

Not long after, Fei Yi and Dong Yun hurried to the meeting hall. They knelt down and said in a loud voice: "Your Majesty, we pay our respects to you!"

Liu Chan looked at Fei Yi and Dong Yun, his expression slightly relaxed. He pointed to the memorial on the desk and said in a deep voice: "Take a look at the ranking in the Clan Records. Is there anything wrong with it?"

When Fei Yi and Dong Yun heard this, they were startled and quickly stood up, walked to the desk and carefully examined the memorial.

There was a flash of surprise in the eyes of the two men, and then they became determined again.

They turned to look at Liu Chan and said respectfully: "Your Majesty, the ranking of the "Clan Records" was indeed done by us. We are guilty, please punish us, Your Majesty!"

Liu Chan looked at Fei Yi and Dong Yun and couldn't help feeling a little emotional.

He waved his hand, motioning for the two to stand up, and said softly, "What crime have you committed? Regarding the compilation of the Clan Chronicle, I just want to ask you, how should the ranking be determined so that it is both fair and reasonable?"

Fei Yi understood what he meant, stepped forward, and said, "Your Majesty, what you said makes sense. The compilation of the Clan Records is indeed a major event. I think that the royal family's surnames should naturally be given priority."

Liu Chan nodded slightly, motioning Fei Yi to continue.

Fei Yi cleared his throat and continued, "As a member of the Han royal family, the Liu surname should naturally be ranked first. This is not only a respect for the imperial power, but also a continuation of the orthodoxy of the Han Dynasty. The Liu surname is not only a symbol of the royal family, but also the sun in the hearts of thousands of people, guiding the direction of the Han Dynasty."

Dong Yun also stepped forward and added, "Your Majesty, I think that surnames related to the royal family by marriage, such as Cao and Sun, should also be appropriately promoted. This move is not only to appease the royal family of the previous dynasty, but also to demonstrate the inclusive spirit of our Han Dynasty."

After hearing this, Liu Chan pondered in his heart.

Although surnames such as Cao and Sun are not native forces of the Han Dynasty, they also have considerable influence in the court.

After all, many surrendered ministers and generals were once from the Wei and Wu states. Recognizing the Wei and Wu states was actually a disguised way of recognizing them.

If their status could be properly improved, it would undoubtedly enhance the cohesion of the court and reduce unnecessary disputes.

So he nodded in agreement.

Seeing this, Fei Yi continued, "Next, it is the surnames of the meritorious officials and the emerging nobles."

"Your Majesty, the military families of Zhuge, Guan, Zhang, Zhao, etc. also made great military achievements in the establishment and unification of the Han Dynasty. Their surnames should also be ranked higher to show the importance of military achievements. Only in this way can we encourage the soldiers to serve the country and work together for the great cause."

When Liu Chan heard this, a feeling of pride surged in his heart.

He seemed to see those brave and skilled generals, cutting through thorns and brambles on the battlefield, fighting bloody battles for the glorious future of the Han Dynasty.

Their achievements will be forever engraved in the long river of history and in his heart.

Fei Yi coughed lightly and continued, "The surnames of local tyrants and noble families also need to be properly arranged. The surnames of local tyrants, such as Cui, Lu, Zheng, etc. in Hebei, Lu, Gu, Zhu, etc. in Jiangdong, these surnames of local tyrants should be appropriately suppressed. This move is to weaken their local influence and to maintain the authority of the court."

Dong Yun also said: "The traditional aristocratic surnames, such as the Xun family of Yingchuan and the Chen family, should also be weakened. This move is not only to prevent them from continuing to monopolize political resources, but also to provide more development opportunities for the emerging forces of our Han Dynasty."

After hearing this, Liu Chan pondered in his heart.

Local tyrants and traditional aristocrats have considerable power in the court. If the order of their surnames is not properly arranged, unnecessary disputes may arise.

Therefore, he expressed cautious consideration of the proposals of Fei Yi and Dong Yun.

Finally, Fei Yi said: "Commoners and emerging surnames should also be appropriately promoted. Commoners' surnames should be appropriately promoted. This is to show the importance of the common people and to weaken the monopoly of the gentry. Emerging surnames, emerging families that emerged during the unification process, should also be appropriately promoted. This is to encourage the rise of emerging forces and to inject more vitality into our Han Dynasty."

Liu Chan said on the side: "Now that the first draft is ready, let's revise it carefully!"

Clan history is a weapon of public opinion, but it is also a knife for him to kill people.

Through ranking, you can force out those who refuse to obey.

kill!

Through deliberate changes, you can sow discord.

In short
There are many wonderful uses. (End of this chapter)