Super Cultivation System of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 617: The Ministers’ Thoughts

Liu He shook his head repeatedly: "Absolutely not. It's not too late to discuss this matter after the North is completely stable."

"Hey, what the general said is absurd. The general ascends the throne to be the emperor, which is in accordance with the will of heaven and the will of the people. He can show his grace and power throughout the country, spread his benevolence to all directions, and win the hearts of the people and the respect of the princes. It will also be a great boost to the soldiers and generals. At that time, under the majesty of heaven, who would dare not obey the army wherever it goes?"

Wang Yun's words were so righteous and convincing that Liu He was speechless for a moment and didn't know how to refute him.

But he had made up his mind that, at least under the current circumstances, he could not sit on the throne no matter what. Otherwise, if a catastrophe came upon him, he would be finished as emperor within a few months. By then, the history books would not care about his achievements, but would only record that after his victory, he was arrogant, self-willed, forced the emperor to proclaim himself emperor, and sowed the seeds of disaster, so that he became one of the shortest-lived emperors in history.

Liu He never doubted that the throne of the Han Dynasty would be his sooner or later. It was just that now was not the right time.

He was determined and his face darkened. "Okay, you don't need to persuade me anymore. Your Majesty is so gracious and you ministers are so kind. It's not that I, Liu He, don't know what's good for me. But Luoyang is the capital of our Han Dynasty. Now that the capital is gone, it's inevitable that people will criticize me if I perform the ceremony of abdication in the secondary capital of Jinyang. What if the princes use this as an excuse to come and criticize me? What should I do?"

"General, why do you have to..."

Wang Yun wanted to persuade him again but was stopped by Yang Biao.

"Then according to what the general said, if we can retake Luoyang, we will accept the abdication?"

Liu Xie next to him looked at Liu He with anticipation. Liu He thought about it and finally nodded.

"Yes, when Luoyang returns to the control of the imperial court, it will be the day when I, Liu He, ascend the throne. I can also say this. Once this matter is said, it will be a foregone conclusion. Even if some of you regret it by then, it will be too late."

Yang Biao bowed to Liu Xie and said, "What do you think, Your Majesty?"

Liu Xie was obviously unhappy, with his mouth pouted high. This look of temper was quite similar to that of Liu He's son Liu Zheng. When Liu He saw him with this expression, the fatherly love in his heart could not help but surge up.

He squatted down, held Liu Xie's hands, and looked at him like an elder.

"Your Majesty is the Emperor of the Han Dynasty. You must always consider the interests of the Han Dynasty. Since the Ten Eunuchs' disorderly rule, the government has been weakened and the four directions have been in turmoil. We, the ministers, have spent a lot of effort to stabilize the government. Now the overall situation in the world is not stable. If you change the emperor, I am afraid that many princes will be dissatisfied. If the government changes again, what benefit will it bring to the Liu family's country?"

Liu Xie looked aggrieved, lowered his head and muttered quietly: "But I didn't want to sit on the throne myself. It was the old villain Dong Zhuo who forced me to do it. Moreover, since I became the emperor, I have been in fear day and night. First, I was bullied by the villain Dong Zhuo, then I was deceived by Chen Ji and others, and then I was plotted by Yuan Shu and fled Luoyang overnight. I have not had a single day of peace. I am far less comfortable than those who raise horses and farm in Yanmen..."

Liu He sighed. Liu Xie was just a child after all, only two years older than his son Zheng'er. Moreover, he had been secluded in the deep palace for many years. Since he was seven or eight years old, he had been bullied by the Ten Attendants, Dong Zhuo and others. This was indeed a bit cruel for a child.

"Gong Saner."

"The servant is here."

Liu He ordered: "You can take His Majesty out of the palace and play in Jinyang City on weekdays. I will let the guards only protect you in secret and will not follow you in large groups. Remember, do not reveal your identity to avoid unnecessary trouble."

"The slaves obey."

When Liu Xie heard this, his face immediately turned happy: "Are you serious, General?"

Liu He smiled and said, "A gentleman's word is as good as a whip. This is not only my promise to the emperor as a subject, but also my promise to the younger generation as an elder. How can I not take it seriously?"

"Great!" Liu Xie jumped up excitedly.

"Let's go immediately, let's go now! I've heard a long time ago that there is a tavern in the east of the city. Not only are the food and drinks there first-rate, but there are also acrobatics to entertain the audience, which is really fun to watch. Oh, yes, that day I saw a little eunuch drop a puppet from his arms, which was controlled by a few silk threads. I've only heard of it before, but never seen it. Today I must buy a lot of it back, so that you little eunuchs can play with me..."

He ignored Liu He and the others, grabbed Gong Saner's hand, and ran away like the wind.

"Your Majesty, please slow down, please slow down..."

Liu He looked at his joyful back and suddenly remembered his previous life. When he graduated from elementary school and was about to go to junior high school, he saw other children had all kinds of gifts from their parents, such as toy racing cars, Transformers, bicycles, game consoles, etc., but his family was poor and could not afford them, so his father made a batch of weapons of the four masters and apprentices including Sun Wukong in "Journey to the West" out of wood and painted a few masks. He felt the same way when he received these gifts.

"Alas... Your Majesty is so unfortunate, and so is the general. Why do you have to..." Wang Yun seemed to want to complain, but was pulled back by Lu Zhi.

Liu He looked at them and said, "My fellow officials are loyal to the court and have helped me, Liu He. I will never forget this. However, it is a time of great trouble and the court affairs are complicated and confusing. I really cannot bear this responsibility. If you are willing, you may share the worries of the court. I still have military duties to attend to, so I will take my leave first."

After saying this, he left without looking back, leaving dozens of ministers looking at each other in bewilderment.

Cai Yong said with some worry: "I heard that the general is short of military rations and has exempted Jizhou from taxes this year. I'm afraid the earliest he will march to Luoyang is next year, or even later. The longer the night, the more trouble he will have. Does the commander have any good ideas?"

"Yes, my family now shares the same fate with the general. If he is not anxious, then we must be anxious too."

The speaker is Du Ji, the head of the Jingzhao Du family, Du Bohou, and the current Jingzhao Yin. Shortly after Liu He entered Luoyang, the former Jingzhao Yin Sima Fang resigned from his post on the grounds that his mother had passed away and he needed to mourn, and Du Ji took over.

Among the crowd, only Yang Biao and Lu Zhi seemed less anxious.

Lu Zhi said: "We never intended to let the general ascend the throne so easily. Since we had expected this, why should we be so unwilling?"

"We can't just wait like this, can we?" Wang Yun was obviously very dissatisfied with today's results.

Yang Biao narrowed his eyes, as if thinking about something. Wang Yun called him, "General, among our clans, your Hongnong Yang clan is the head. You must say something."

Unexpectedly, Yang Biao laughed: "Alas, since ancient times, the throne has been fought for by people. Have you ever seen people scramble to retreat when faced with the throne? I'm afraid no one will believe it if I tell others."

Wang Yun was anxious: "Who asked you this? We need you to make a decision. I am nearly sixty years old, you are fifty, and Cui Sikong is fifty-two. There are people present who are older than you and me. How long do we have left? How can we afford to wait? If we cannot complete this matter before returning home or passing away, what will happen to the younger generations of the family after we leave?"

"Yes, now only by supporting him and becoming a loyal minister can we protect the children of our family and allow them to gain a foothold in the court. Isn't this what we wanted when we supported Liu He?"

Wang Yun looked at the person who said this, it turned out to be Wang Rou, the head of the Jinyang Wang family. He was also his distant nephew from the same clan. He couldn't help but give him a kind and approving look.

Cui Lie comforted everyone and said, "Don't worry, everyone. Since the general has chosen to hold back for the time being, there must be a reason. Although most of us are old, we are still healthy and there is no need to worry for such a long time. Why not wait a little longer?"

He had good intentions, but he didn't expect that just this one sentence would cause dissatisfaction among many ministers.

"Sikong, you are quite relaxed. Your second son, Cui Zhouping, has been following the general when he was training the militia in the countryside. Now, like the second son of Xun, he is the general's confidant. He will naturally be an important official in the court and the backbone of the Han Dynasty. You don't have to worry. It's easy to talk without any pain in your waist."

"Hey, why do you talk like that?" Cui Lie became a little annoyed.

At this time Yang Biao suddenly spoke.

"Well, we are all high-ranking officials of the imperial court. How can we quarrel so loudly?"

He has a very high reputation, and as soon as he speaks, everyone naturally quiets down.

Yang Biao said: "Since the general has agreed to accept the abdication after taking Luoyang, then this matter is a foregone conclusion. All we have to think about is how to get him to send troops as soon as possible. There is no other way."

When he said this, it was as if the clouds and mist had cleared away and everyone saw the blue sky.

"Well, the commander has a point. Now the general has gained the people of Jizhou, with hundreds of thousands of elite troops under his command. Yuan Shu and Cao Cao are not worth mentioning at all. As long as the general is willing to send troops, Luoyang will be within his grasp. But I don't know why the general has returned to Jinyang for many days, but has not made any move? A few days ago at the court meeting, he said that he wanted Ji and Bing to rest and recuperate. What does this mean?"

Yang Biao thought for a moment and said, "I think the general must have some worries. Why don't we find out what he is worried about and then try to solve it. Then he will have nothing to say. Otherwise, even if we talk too much, it will not only be useless, but will also cause the general's resentment. Isn't that counterproductive?"

When everyone heard this, they applauded.

"Yes! If that's the case, we can take this opportunity to establish meritorious service. When the new dynasty is founded in the future, won't he promote more of our family members? Great, we'll do it right away."

(End of this chapter)