The Rebellious Officials and Traitors of the Late Han Dynasty

Chapter 502: The Empress
Liu Xie stumbled back a few steps and was supported by the attendants behind him. He looked at the ministers kneeling down below the stage, his ears buzzing, and Wei Feng's blood spread on the snow like a gorgeous flower.

Qin Shou stood with his hands behind his back, his crown obscuring his expression. He said in a deep voice, "I shall accept the mandate of heaven. From today on, I shall change the era name to Wude and grant amnesty to the whole nation!"

"Long live! Long live! Long live!"

The altar was shaken slightly by the roar of the mountains and seas. Liu Xie saw that his brother Liu Bian had stood beside Qin Shou without him noticing, holding a bright yellow imperial edict and reading aloud: ". Confer the title of Duke of Shanyang on Emperor Liu Xie of the Han Dynasty, with a fief of 10,000 households."

The words on the imperial edict floated into his ears, but it was as if they were separated by a thick veil. Liu Xie vaguely remembered what Hua Xin said to him in the side hall in the past: "Your Majesty, don't worry, the King of Tang will ensure that you will be rich and noble for the rest of your life." At that time, the man had a smile on his lips, but his eyes were cold.

"Please ask Lord Shanyang to accept the order."

Hua Xin's voice brought Liu Xie back to reality. He knelt down woodenly and took the edict that ended the four hundred years of the Han Dynasty with both hands. The silk felt cold to the touch, and the jade seal and red seal made his eyes hurt.

There was a commotion under the altar. A group of soldiers came with a dozen disheveled men, led by Dong Cheng's son Dong Si. The young man's face was covered in blood, but he still stood up straight and shouted: "Qin thief! You usurped the Han Dynasty today, and one day you will -"

"Behead." Qin Shou waved his hand nonchalantly.

The knife flashed, and more than a dozen heads rolled to the snow. Blood splattered on the five-colored soil of the base of the Zen platform, dyeing the holy soil that originally symbolized the Five Heavenly Emperors scarlet.

Liu Xie was shaking all over, and the imperial edict in his hand fell to the ground with a "bang". He saw Dong Si's head facing him, his eyes wide open as if questioning him. In a whirlwind, he vaguely heard Qin Shou say to Jia Xu beside him: "Hang the heads of these traitors on the city gate to serve as a warning to others."

"Let's go back to the palace!"

Following the eunuch's sharp announcement, Qin Shou slowly stepped down from the stage, surrounded by hundreds of officials. Liu Xie followed behind, supported by two guards. He turned back and took one last look at the abdication platform - the blood of Kong Rong, Wei Feng, and Dong Si, interwoven into a strange picture on the white snow and the five-colored soil.

When the imperial carriage passed through the gate of Chang'an on its way back to the city, Liu Xie saw a row of newly hung heads on the city wall. The cold wind was howling, and the hair of those heads fluttered in the wind, as if they were dancing a dance of death.

Weiyang Palace.

Qin Shou sat high on the throne, his eyes swept over the ministers, a look of joy on his face.

"Jia Xu."

The black-robed scholar slowly stepped out of the line, the jade pendant on his waist glowing green in the snow.

"Your Majesty, your servant Jia Xu pays respect to you."

"You have been in charge of the military for more than ten years and have made outstanding contributions. You are awarded the title of First-Class Duke, which will be inherited by your descendants. You are also awarded a fiefdom of 500 li."

"I thank your Majesty for your grace."

Even though Jia Xu had been prepared, he was still very excited when it really happened. The hereditary title of first-class duke and a fiefdom of 500 miles were enough to bring honor to his family.

"Zhong Yao, you have managed the rear areas and saved me from worrying about food and grass. You have made outstanding contributions and I will make you a first-class duke. Your title will be passed down to your descendants and I will be awarded a fief of 500 li."

"I thank your majesty for his grace."

Zhong Yao also showed joy on his face. It was true that the Yingchuan Zhong family was a prominent family, but they definitely did not have a fiefdom of 500 miles. With such a fiefdom, it would be enough for the Zhong family to be passed down for a longer period of time.

"Xun You made decisive decisions and made many achievements. He was awarded the title of First-Class Duke, a hereditary title, and a fief of 500 li."

"I thank your Majesty for your grace."

Xun You hurriedly thanked him.

"Huang Zhong and Zhang Liao are hereby ennobled as first-class dukes, with an inheritance of five hundred li."

"Ennoble Wei Yan, Xu Huang, and Li Ru as second-class dukes, hereditary without interruption, with fiefs of 450 li."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Li Ru hurriedly thanked him with excitement on his face. He was originally a traitor to Dong Zhuo, but now he could become the Duke of Tang. The difference in status was so huge, it was like heaven and earth.

The ceremony lasted for the entire morning, with a total of ten dukes, twenty-eight marquises, thirty-six earls, forty-eight marquises, and many other viscounts and barons. For a time, cheers could be heard throughout Chang'an City.

That night, Qin Shou held a banquet for his ministers in Changle Palace, and the sound of drums and music continued until late at night.

The next morning, Qin Shou led Du Shiniang and others to visit the imperial palace. Although Qin Shou had been powerful and domineering in the past, he had never walked in the imperial palace.

Only now could he walk in the palace like a master.

As they were walking, they suddenly heard the sound of a guqin. The mournful sound instantly dampened the joyful atmosphere, and even Du Shiniang and others showed displeasure.

"Who is playing the piano?"

Qin Shou asked indifferently.

After a while, the eunuch Zhao Liu came over cautiously.

"Your Majesty, she is the deposed empress of the previous dynasty."

"Empress Fu!"

Qin Shou was stunned for a moment, but soon understood the other party's identity.

Qin Shou frowned slightly and raised his hand to signal everyone to stop. The sound of the piano was like weeping and complaining, and it was particularly desolate in the cold wind of early spring. He looked in the direction of the sound and saw a remote palace not far away, with a red lacquer-mottled palace door half-closed.

"Your Majesty, do you want to disperse them?" Zhao Liu asked in a low voice.

Qin Shou waved his hand and walked towards the palace alone. Du Shiniang hesitated to speak, and finally just signaled the guards to follow him from a distance.

Pushing open the creaking palace gate, the snow in the courtyard had not been swept, and a few withered plum trees stubbornly stretched out their branches. Under the corridor, a woman in plain clothes sat with her back to the master, her black hair had turned silver, and her slender fingers plucked the strings of a zither.

When footsteps were heard, the music of the piano stopped abruptly.

"I didn't know Your Majesty was coming, and I'm sorry for not coming to greet you." Fu Shou didn't turn around, and her voice was as calm as dead water.

Qin Shou was standing in the courtyard when he suddenly noticed a scroll of bamboo slips with dense inscriptions on it placed next to the zither table. He walked closer and saw that it was a record of Wang Mang's usurpation of the Han Dynasty in the "Book of Han: Chronicle of Emperor Xiaoping".

"The Queen has such a refined taste." Qin Shou said indifferently.

Fu Shou then slowly turned around. The face of the former mother of the country was now haggard, but her eyes were still clear. She looked directly at Qin Shou: "Your Majesty, are you here today to give me a cup of poisoned wine or three feet of white silk?"

Qin Shou did not answer immediately. He noticed that Fu Shou was wearing a faded jade bracelet on her wrist, but he did not know who had given it to her.

"I remember that the Hongnong Yang family and the Fu family are old friends." Qin Shou said suddenly.

A trace of surprise flashed across Fu Shou's eyes: "Your Majesty actually knows such a trivial matter?"

"Yang Xiu once wrote the Fu of Empress Fu." Qin Shou's eyes were deep, "The line 'bright as the moon, shining as the lotus' is still fresh in my memory."

Fu Shou's face suddenly changed, and he quickly asked, "What exactly does your majesty want to say?"

"Queen, don't worry." Qin Shou gently stroked the strings of the zither and said lightly, "Yesterday, at my coronation ceremony, I have conferred the title of Duke of Shanyang on Liu Xie. With the change of dynasties, it is no longer appropriate for you to stay in the palace. But I don't know if the Duke of Shanyang is still willing to take you in. In any case, I have decided to send you back to him. Live a good life in the future!"

Empress Fu had a complicated expression after hearing this. She had thought that she would die of old age in the cold palace, but she did not expect that Qin Shou would let her go. For a moment, she did not know what to do.

By the time she reacted, Qin Shou and others had left.

"Thank you for your grace."

Queen Fu took a deep breath and then prostrated herself on the ground.

(End of this chapter)