Can I get to the other side?.

Chapter 125: Now that you have seen me, why don't you bow?
Just like in Xu County, Kong Rong went into the city and Taishi Ci stayed at the posthouse.

Whenever Kong Rong did not return as agreed upon, Taishi Ci would flee Jizhou as soon as possible.

In the carriage, although Kong Rong closed his eyes to rest, his heart was not calm at all.

How does the emperor of Yecheng compare to the one of Xu County?
Is it true or false?

As the final step of revealing the truth approaches, Kong Rong, who was originally tasked with exposing the emperor's authenticity, feels extremely nervous, uneasy, and... expectant.

He was afraid that this emperor would be even worse, and he expected this emperor to be different.

During the three days of his stay in Xu County, Kong Rong learned many secrets about the emperor that ordinary people did not know, through communication with Yang Biao, Fu Wan, and the emperor, even including the location of the birthmark on his body.

Of course, he also knew that he could only believe half of it and not all of it. He could only take the secrets he had learned these days as a reference.

In addition to the secrets he heard from Xu County, Kong Rong also had his own way to identify the emperor.

"Prime Minister, we are here."

Just as Kong Rong was deep in thought, Yuan Shao's voice came from outside the carriage.

He slowly opened his eyes, exhaled a breath, and stepped out of the carriage with a determined look.

What comes into view is a magnificent and huge palace.

"What is this?" Kong Rong was slightly surprised. The grandeur of the Yecheng Palace was not inferior to that of Chang'an, and far surpassed the one in Xu County.

Yuan Shao said with a smile: "The emperor has moved the capital to Yecheng. As a minister, how can I not prepare a decent palace for the emperor to live in?"

"Although this palace is not as magnificent as the imperial palaces in Luoyang and Chang'an, I also spent a lot of time and effort to hire a large number of skilled craftsmen to build it... But don't worry, Prime Minister, the money for building the palace was all paid by the Yuan family, and it did not cost the people any money."

"Your Majesty now lives in the imperial palace, with more than 500 servants serving him and 1,000 imperial guards on duty day and night."

Yuan Shao briefly introduced the various configurations in the palace.

In order to achieve a realistic effect and to preserve his reputation for loyalty, Liu Xie spared no expense in renovating and expanding the building day and night since he arrived in Yecheng.

Although the imperial palace before us has not yet been fully completed, one can see at a glance that it is indeed built according to the specifications of a real emperor's palace.

Kong Rong looked around the palace, then glanced inconspicuously at the imperial guards on duty outside the palace, and nodded silently in his heart.

This imperial palace is much more luxurious than the so-called "palace" in Xu County. The various specifications and the people who arranged it are enough to show how much effort Yuan Shao put in.

I just don't know if the person sitting in this palace is the true emperor.

As the two were talking, an eunuch came up to them in small steps and saluted to Yuan Shao and Kong Rong respectively: "General, Prime Minister, His Majesty is already waiting in Zhengyang Palace. Please follow me to see him."

Yuan Shao nodded, slightly turned sideways, and made way for Kong Rong: "Prime Minister, please go first."

Kong Rong strode forward and entered the palace gate.

Led by the eunuchs, the two men walked into the palace and came to the outside of the Zhengyang Palace.

Along the way, Kong Rong was observing secretly.

"Please wait a moment. I will go in and report."

Yuan Shao and Kong Rong were left waiting outside the hall while the eunuchs went inside to report.

Kong Rong remembered this small detail, which he had not seen in Xu County.

Soon after, the sound of chanting was heard from the hall.

"Xuan——"

"Great General and Grand Marshal Yuan Shao!"

"Kong Rong, Prime Minister of Beihai!"

"Enter the palace and have an audience——!"

Then Yuan Shao and Kong Rong walked into the hall.

As soon as you enter the hall, you will see civil officials and military generals standing solemnly on both sides.

As the saying goes - in the temple, there are many dignitaries.

Yuan Shao came to the center of the hall and respectfully paid homage: "Your Majesty, I, Yuan Shao, pay my respects to you!"

The ceremony was an extremely solemn and dignified one of three bows and nine kowtows.

Kong Rong stood where he was, looking up at the tall figure sitting on the dragon throne in front of him.

Wearing a red and black dragon robe and a crown on his head.

The face beneath the pearl curtain of the crown, young and handsome, was so familiar, yet seemed different.

At this moment, he was looking down at him with a faint glance.

Eyes facing each other.

The moment he saw the face behind the bead curtain clearly, Kong Rong's pupils shrank, his whole body stiffened, and his heart was completely filled with shock!

How could it be...exactly the same?
Kong Rong didn't know how to describe the shock in his heart, because the situation before him was something he had never expected.

The emperor in Yecheng looks exactly like the one in Xu County!
There is absolutely no difference in appearance!

However, the solemnity in the hall made him feel as if he was back in the days when Emperor Lingdi was in power, and it also made him realize that the emperor in front of him was not the same person as the one in Xu County.

Just as Kong Rong was staring at Liu Xie's face again and again, trying to find anything different, Liu Xie spoke.

"Now that you have seen me, why don't you bow?"

He frowned slightly, seeming very unhappy.

Hearing the voice in his ear, Kong Rong woke up as if from a dream. He immediately bowed and said respectfully: "Your Majesty, I, Kong Rong, pay my respects to you!"

Liu Xie did not give up and snorted coldly: "You are disrespectful in front of the palace and look directly at the emperor. You are the 20th generation descendant of Confucius. How dare you be so rude to me?"

The overwhelming pressure made Kong Rong break out in a cold sweat.

Seeing that the situation was almost heated, Yuan Shao hurried to help: "Your Majesty, Mr. Kong has traveled a long way and is exhausted both physically and mentally, which is why he lost his composure for a moment. I hope Your Majesty will forgive Mr. Kong for his impoliteness in front of the palace."

Not only did he not pay respect to the emperor, but he also dared to look directly into his face. This would have been fine in ordinary circumstances, but this was a formal audience in front of all the officials, and he could not escape the charge of disrespect.

Kong Rong also bowed his head deeply and said: "Your Majesty's imperial power is too great for an old and feeble minister to bear, so I lost my composure. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."

At this moment, he really wanted to raise his head again and take a good look at the emperor sitting above him; but due to the etiquette between the monarch and his subjects, he did not dare to offend him again.

"Imperial power is so great?" Liu Xie sneered, seeming even more displeased. He stared at Kong Rong and said, "How do I compare to the emperor of Xu County?!"

The voice was filled with anger that was difficult to conceal.

Kong Rong suddenly understood why the emperor was so cold and harsh towards him.

It wasn't because of any misconduct in front of the palace.

The Emperor is really angry...

It was he who went to Xu County!

"Your Majesty's forgiveness!"

"Now there are two emperors, the real and the fake, in the world. It is difficult for the world to distinguish them, and it is also difficult for me to distinguish them. This concerns the orthodoxy of the Han Dynasty. I have to be extremely cautious and dare not make a rash judgment. Therefore, whether it is Yecheng or Xuxian, I will go there."

"If Your Majesty blames me for this, I am willing to be punished."

Kong Rong looked sincere, neither humble nor arrogant, and he had a clear conscience about this matter.

"Forget it." Liu Xie seemed a little impatient and said lightly: "Since you are also loyal, I will not bother with you."

"Since you have been to Xu County and now come to Yecheng, you should have made up your mind."

"Tell me——"

"Which is true and which is false?"

At this moment, Liu Xie's acting skills have reached their peak. Compared with his false dealings with Yuan Shao, he is much better.

This is the pinnacle of experiential acting, and he has completely immersed himself in the role of the emperor.

A resounding voice was heard, and even with his head lowered, Kong Rong could still feel the invisible pressure, which seemed heavier than Mount Tai and made it hard for him to breathe.

Yuan Shao watched this scene, his eyes moved slightly, and he quickly put pressure on Kong Rong again.

"Mr. Kong, this matter concerns your majesty's reputation. Please be cautious and don't speak nonsense!" Kong Rong was silent for a long time, then he sighed and said in a tired old voice:
"Forgive me...I can't tell."

When Yuan Shao heard this, he was stunned at first, and then he was overjoyed.

He had already prepared for the worst. If the plan of establishing a fake emperor was discovered by the old thief Kong Rong, he would throw dirty water on Kong Rong, ruin his reputation and let the world know that the old thief Kong Rong's words could not be trusted.

Unexpectedly, Kong Rong said that he could not tell the truth from the false.

This made Yuan Shao so happy that he didn't know what to do.

“Total nonsense!!”

Just as Yuan Shao was wondering whether he should make another effort to help Kong Rong confirm the refugee's identity as the emperor, a furious voice echoed in the hall.

Liu Xie suddenly stood up from the dragon throne, staring down at Kong Rong with a cold and stern look, his dark eyes full of murderous intent.

"I am a descendant of Emperor Gaozu and the legitimate emperor of the Han Dynasty! The Kong family has been blessed by the Han Dynasty for generations, and you, Kong Wenju, are also a role model for scholars all over the world. But you don't know the real dragon, and you are brazenly deceiving the world by saying that you can't tell the difference."

As the voice fell, the deep murderous intent made the air seem to grow colder. Yuan Shao and Ju Shou pretended to be frightened and knelt on the ground.

"Your Majesty, calm down."

Yuan Shao was delighted. The refugee acted so well. For a moment, he thought there was a real dragon sitting on the throne.

With Yuan Shao and Ju Shou taking the lead, other frightened counselors and generals also knelt on the ground, shouting, "Your Majesty, calm down."

"Calm down? How do you ask me to calm down?" Liu Xie was like an angry lion, with a captivating gaze. Wherever he went, no one dared to look at him and they all lowered their heads.

"After the Yellow Turbans, Dong Zhuo brought chaos to the government. Since I succeeded to the throne, I have been worried every day. Fortunately, Lord Wen killed Dong Zhuo. But after Dong Zhuo was killed, traitors like Guo Si and Li Jue emerged.

The world today is in chaos with wars among various states, causing great suffering to the people.

Yuan Shu of Yangzhou committed treason and usurped the throne of himself, while the traitor Cao of Yanzhou committed a perverse act and established himself as the emperor.

I only regret that I cannot be like Emperor Guangwu and wipe out the rebellious people and give the people a peaceful and harmonious world."

The sound was sonorous and powerful, deafening.

In the hall, except Yuan Shao and Ju Shou who knew Liu Xie's true identity, everyone else had murderous looks in their eyes.

"Kong Rong does not respect the emperor. I beg you to execute him!"

"I request to be ordered to march to Yanzhou to capture and kill Cao the thief and the false emperor for Your Majesty."

Jia Xu and Yuan Shao asked for orders one after another, as if they had discussed it beforehand.

The atmosphere in the hall and Liu Xie's imperial majesty seemed to form a terrifying power that rushed straight towards Kong Rong, almost suffocating him.

"Your Majesty, I am not trying to fool the world, but the person in Xu County... looks exactly like your Majesty."

Kong Rong's face was full of bitterness. How could he not distinguish the truth from the false? If he didn't give an explanation to the people of the world, his reputation would be ruined.

There must be one true emperor and one false emperor. If he doesn't distinguish the true from the false, people will think that he was bribed by Cao Cao or Yuan Shao, or that he is too afraid to offend these two.

"Stop talking nonsense!" Liu Xie was still angry, thinking Kong Rong was quibbling. "My father and I look different, let alone outsiders."

Kong Rong raised a few fingers and said, "Your Majesty, I swear in the name of our ancestor Confucius that if I tell you even a lie, I will be pierced by a thousand arrows and die."

As soon as he finished speaking, there was an uproar in the Zhengyang Palace.

The oaths of this era were very convincing, especially when Kong Rong swore in the name of Confucius, everyone basically believed what he said.

"What a thief Cao is! He actually found someone who looks like Your Majesty to impersonate the emperor!"

Yuan Shao was extremely indignant and acted like a loyal minister of the Han Dynasty.

After seeing Kong Rong make the oath, the anger on Liu Xie's face had not yet disappeared, and astonishment and disbelief appeared in his eyes again.

"The fake emperor looks exactly like me?"

When Yuan Shao saw Liu Xie's complex expression which was three parts anger, three parts surprise, three parts disbelief and one part confusion, he really wanted to cheer for him!

Such acting skills are unparalleled in the world!
Enough to be ranked among the three unrivaled ones along with Kong Rong and Lu Bu.

After discussion between Yuan Shao and Ju Su, Liu Xie and Kong Rong will meet today, and Kong Rong must not be allowed to ask about some secrets related to the emperor, otherwise the secret will be exposed.

So they decided to take the initiative and give Kong Rong a warning as soon as they saw him, showing off their emperor's majesty in front of him.

Yuan Shao was originally a little worried about whether Liu Xie could perform well, but now he is completely relieved.

Majestic and moody.

It truly interprets what Tianwei is!

Yuan Shao was delighted, but he did not forget to cooperate with Liu Xie. He showed a look of shock and asked anxiously: "Mr. Kong, are you seeing things? How can someone look exactly like your Majesty?"

Kong Rong shook his head and smiled bitterly, then looked at Liu Xie: "Your Majesty, I was not mistaken, they do look the same. This is also the reason why I lost my manners in front of you just now."

Ju Su, who had been silent all this time, saw this good opportunity and spoke decisively: "Your Majesty, there are indeed such coincidences in the world.

I have also seen a person whose ancestral home is Huaiyin and whose surname is Wu, and a person whose ancestral home is Jixian and whose surname is Tang. They have no family relationship at all, but look exactly the same.

I'm afraid Cao Cao really found someone who looks like Your Majesty to pretend to be the emperor."

It was a great joy that Kong Rong was unable to tell whether the emperor was genuine or not.

Now Ju Su and Yuan Shao's goal has gone a step further, to confirm Liu Xie's identity as the true dragon emperor.

Seeing that it was almost done, Liu Xie nodded and looked at Kong Rong and said:
"If that's the case, you shouldn't be unable to identify a real dragon. But considering that you and I haven't seen each other for eight years and have become unfamiliar, I will forgive you."

Kong Rong kowtowed: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Guo Jia, who had been waiting for a long time, seized the opportunity and quickly asked Kong Rong: "Even if they look the same, how can the fake emperor be compared with the real dragon? Can't Kong Gong tell the difference, or does he not want to tell the difference?"

Jia Xu also nodded and said, "Yes, how can a fake emperor have the majesty of Your Majesty?"

When Liu Xie heard what the two said, he almost felt dizzy.

He knew very well that he was the fake emperor, and even the so-called majesty of the emperor was just an act.

Now Guo Jia and Jia Xu actually asked Kong Rong to compare him with a real emperor, which made him feel extremely guilty.

Just as Liu Xie was thinking of an excuse to change the subject, Kong Rong spoke up: "The man from Xu County is indeed not as majestic as Your Majesty, but... I hope Your Majesty will allow me to confirm it carefully."

"I have learned a lot about Your Majesty from Yang Biao, Fu Wan, the Queen and other close ministers and concubines. Your Majesty, will you allow me to ask a few questions?"

coming……

Yuan Shao felt his heart tighten when he heard this.

This is their biggest flaw.

The daily records collected by Ju Su were incomplete, and some truly private matters concerning the emperor were not recorded in detail in the records.

But faced with the request made by Kong Rong, they could not refuse, otherwise they would feel guilty.

Sitting on the dragon throne, Liu Xie said calmly, "Yes!"

Kong Rong bowed and said, "After all, this is a private matter of your majesty, and it may be inappropriate to ask in the hall."

All the civil and military officials were present in the hall. It was undoubtedly very rude to discuss private matters in front of so many people.

This is inconsistent with the relationship between the ruler and his subjects that Kong Rong followed in his heart.

"Then let's go to Xuanshi." Liu Xie nodded in agreement, turned to Yuan Shao and said, "General, please wait here with your ministers. I will be back soon."

Having said this, he left the hall with Kong Rong.

Yuan Shao looked at the two men's departing backs, his expression changing constantly.

He was really worried at this moment, fearing that Liu Xie would be exposed.

"Forget it, there's no point in worrying. Now that things have come to this, I can only trust him."

Yuan Shao could do nothing but wait for news.

Liu Xie had performed perfectly when dealing with Liu Bei, Lu Bu and Jia Xu before, so he might be able to get away with it this time.

What if the question Kong Rong asked was recorded in the daily records?
What Yuan Shao didn't notice was that in the hall, Guo Jia and Jia Xu looked at each other and smiles appeared on their lips.

……

(End of this chapter)