Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 209 The world does not belong to one person, but to all the world.

When Liu Shan arrived at the residence where Bu Zhi was under house arrest, no one came out to greet him.

Upon entering the mansion, they saw Bu Zhi sitting at a table enjoying his dinner.

He sat upright, dressed neatly, like a scholar. His black, white, and gray beard was combed meticulously, making him look quite spirited.

He remained unmoved when someone entered, simply holding a bowl in one hand and chopsticks in the other, eating his own food with a slow and deliberate pace, seemingly at a specific rhythm, without drinking any alcohol.

It must be said that although he was dressed as a scholar in plain clothes and a turban, his more than ten years of military service, including pacifying Jiaozhou, stabilizing Jingnan, and stationing himself in Changsha, had indeed cultivated in him a unique aura of authority that belonged only to veteran generals on the battlefield.

Compared to veteran generals like Wei Yan and Wu Yi, this man appears to have more of a scholar-general's demeanor.

Considering the historical fact that he replaced Lu Xun as prime minister, such an old Confucian scholar who was able to achieve both military and civil service positions is indeed very deceptive, making it difficult for people to instinctively feel much ill will towards him.

However, he was now sitting in the main seat in the room, looking and behaving at ease, not like a surrendered prisoner, but rather as if he were in his own home.

Liu Shan casually found a side seat and sat down.

As soon as Liu Shan sat down, the cook Zhao Yun had lent to Bu Zhi presented him with wine, fruit, and other refreshments.

"What does Your Excellency eat?" Liu Shan asked the cook with a smile.

The cook, knowing this was the emperor, appeared reserved and somewhat timid, and said:
"Your Majesty, what Lord Bu ate was a sweet melon, a bowl of millet porridge, a carp from the Han River, and a bowl of sunflower soup."

"Give me the same one."

“Yes!” The cook immediately left.

"Cheng Zi and Huang Bing have been fasting for three days, but Bu Jun has a good appetite," Liu Shan said with a smile as he picked up a melon and took a bite after the cook's footsteps disappeared.

It wasn't very sweet to him, but in this era, even oranges were a luxury fruit, and melons were also a presentable gift.

Bu Zhi ignored Liu Shan's attempt to strike up a conversation. Only after he had finished chewing and swallowing his food did he put down his bowl and chopsticks and slowly speak:

"If Your Majesty has come here hoping to win over this old man to the Han like Tang Zi, then please return. There is no need to waste your time on me."

"As for Cheng Zi and Huang Bing, they do have some of their father's character."

"While he may not live up to his father's reputation, he is far superior to that brat Han Zong."

Liu Shan thought for a moment, then smiled and said:

“When I was young, I read the Spring and Autumn Annals. When I came to the section on ‘not eating Zhou grain,’ I always sighed at the righteousness of Boyi and Shuqi.”

"However, there are times when I doubt that if the two men were willing to die for Yin, why didn't they try to stop the chariot at dawn at Muye?"
"Yet he insisted on fleeing to Shouyang, where he gathered wild herbs and sang songs, becoming a starving corpse in An'an, until he was starving and dying."

"Was it martyrdom for one's country, or martyrdom for one's name?"

Bu Zhi's expression faltered slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.

Liu Shan then said, "In the battle of Xinfeng, a son of the Wang family of Hongnong was captured and brought before my tent."

"The man claimed to be Xiahou Mao, a relative of Cao Cao, who could capture the Yaotong Pass for our Han Dynasty."

“I knew it was wrong, and I questioned him because I found it strange.”

The person replied:
“A true man should live a full life; how can he die nameless in the chaos of war? If I were to die in the chaos of war, people would say I have betrayed my country. But if I die clearly and honorably today, the world will surely recognize my worth.”

Upon hearing this, Bu Zhi scoffed.
"When Zilu died, Shi Qi and Meng Yan stabbed him with spears and cut off his hat tassel."

Zilu said: "When a gentleman dies, he should not remove his hat."

He then tied his hat and died.

"Bo Yi and Shu Qi starved on Shouyang Mountain, yet their hat tassels remained in place."

"The sage values ​​a person's will, not their death."
"Later generations hunted after his death, and thus lost his ambition."

As the ancients said: "A petty person sacrifices himself for profit, a gentleman sacrifices himself for fame, and a sage sacrifices himself for the world."

How different are fame and fortune?
"Those who sacrifice themselves for profit will perish from both profit and shame."

"Those who die for their cause still retain a sense of shame."

"The son of the Wang family died seeking fame. Although I initially found it vulgar, I could not simply laugh it off."

Why is that? Because the world is in great chaos, and even those who have suffered torture and sawing still know to prove their innocence by dying.

"And the shameless ones willingly bind themselves with their hands bound and carry the jade in their mouths, just to survive for a moment."

"If Wang's son and Cheng and Huang's sons could die as they wished, it might serve as a warning to the world."

"If one seeks to survive and succeeds, one's sense of shame will diminish daily, like a thousand-mile dike collapsing due to an ant hole, an unstoppable torrent."

"Your Majesty dismisses this with the lighthearted expression of 'dying for one's name,' does this not offend the spirit of martyrs throughout history who died for their country?"

Liu Shan smiled without speaking, and after a short while asked again:

"Where is Bu Jun?"

"If you, Bu Jun, neither try to stop a chariot with your bare hands, nor follow the example of Cheng and Huang who refused to eat Han grain, nor do you follow the example of Wang's son who sought fame and even died for it, what is your intention?"

Bu Zhi did not speak.

Liu Shan took a bite of the melon and said:
"Let me offer a few words."

"What you are planning is to break the alliance between Han and Wu and rebuild it. You are not doing this for your own benefit or for your posthumous reputation, but only for Wu."

"As you just said, a petty person sacrifices himself for profit, a gentleman sacrifices himself for fame, and a sage sacrifices himself for the world."

"Is what you are doing in the spirit of the sages, sacrificing personal fame and fortune for the sake of the world?"

Upon hearing this, Bu Zhi finally looked up at the Han emperor for the first time, and was slightly surprised when he saw the emperor's appearance.

But this unusual expression only flashed by, and after a moment his expression returned to normal, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with the Han emperor's so-called "sacrifice of a sage".

Before long, the young Han emperor, who already possessed a certain air of authority, shook his head:
"However, the world does not belong to one person, but to all the world."

"The world belongs to all, and it is a public good; those who sacrifice themselves for it can be considered virtuous gentlemen."

"The world belonging to one person is a private tool, and those who sacrifice themselves for it are nothing more than commoners and guests."

Upon hearing this, Bu Zhi finally scoffed: "Does Your Majesty mean that the supreme ruler's empire is the empire of one person and one family, while Your Majesty's empire is not the empire of one person and one family?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Guang, Mi Wei, Jiang Wei, and others behind Liu Shan all changed color.

"How dare the Wu bandits, who have surrendered, be so arrogant?!" Mi Wei drew his sword and stomped his iron foot hard on the bluestone slab, producing a clanging sound.

Bu Zhi was somewhat surprised to hear the voice, and then looked in the direction from which the voice came. When he saw the iron foot, his expression froze.

He quickly regained his composure and said:
The Book of Changes says: "When change is appropriate, regret will disappear. When heaven and earth change, the four seasons are formed. The revolutions of Tang and Wu were in accordance with heaven and responded to the people. The time of change was truly great."

"The Han dynasty lasted for twenty-four generations and four hundred and thirty-four years. Its fortunes had run out, its reign was over, the whole country was in despair, and the land was in disarray. The wicked minister Cao Pi then usurped the throne."

"His Majesty was born in the southeast. At this opportune moment, he was blessed by Heaven and aspired to bring peace to the world. He was entrusted with punishing crimes and served the people with all his might."

"The ministers, generals, and officials of the Wu state, along with the officials of the hundred counties, all believed that the Mandate of Heaven had passed to the Han dynasty, and that the Han dynasty had ceased to exist under Heaven."

"Now Your Majesty possesses the lands of Jing, Yang and Jiao provinces, with 100,000 armored soldiers and a fleet of ships stretching for a thousand miles."

"Since the founding of the state and the establishment of its name, it has offered sacrifices to Heaven and Earth, set up a hundred officials, and established ancestral temples. Its systems and all things are on par with Your Majesty's Han Dynasty, standing in the west and east."

"If we consider the terrain, then the dangers of the Yangtze River are shared by all of them."
"If we consider the power dynamics, then the tripod-like structure is balanced."
"If we consider the common people, even the registered households of Wu know about Sun Wu, but not about Liu Han."

"The Han dynasty has changed its calendar three times, and its name remains but its substance is gone."

"When the Tian family replaced the Qi dynasty, their outward appearance remained, but their soul was gone."

"Your Majesty's Han dynasty is not the Han dynasty of Emperor Gaozu."

"Your Majesty's empire is not the empire of the world, but truly the empire of one person."

"Today's Han dynasty is confined to the western frontier, and its orders cannot be issued beyond Tongguan Pass."

"Today's Wu, which dominates the Jiangnan region, is no different from the Han dynasty in terms of clothing, etiquette and music."

"What difference is there between the Supreme Being and His Majesty, between the Kingdom of Wu and the Kingdom of Han?"

Upon hearing Bu Zhi deny the Mandate of Heaven for the Han Dynasty, all the generals turned pale with anger, and Mi Wei even drew his sword and pressed forward:

"You dog of Wu! How dare you compare a coward like Sun Quan to the Emperor of my Great Han Dynasty!"

As the blade flashed, Bu Zhi remained calm and composed, seemingly unaware of the ring-pommel sword already held against his neck.

Zhao Guang also angrily rebuked:

"How dare you, you old scoundrel, slander my Han dynasty!"

“In the past, Wang Mang usurped the Han throne, which aroused the wrath of both gods and men. Emperor Shizu, a descendant of Emperor Jing, rose up to punish the rebel, and thus the Later Han Dynasty came into being!”

“The current Cao Wei regime holds the emperor hostage to command the feudal lords, murdered Empress Fu and poisoned the prince, and usurped the imperial throne of Han. How is its crime any less than that of Wang Mang?!”

"My Emperor Zhaolie of the Great Han Dynasty, descended from Emperor Jing and Prince Jing of Zhongshan, rose up against Cao Cao!"

"When Cao Pi usurped the throne and murdered the Han dynasty, the Han dynasty was destroyed."

"Without an emperor above, the whole country is in a state of panic!"

"Emperor Zhaolie was in accordance with the will of Heaven and the people, succeeding Emperor Wu and Emperor Shizu, reviving the extinct Han dynasty, and following the example of Emperor Guangwu who revived the Han dynasty!"

"The lineage of the Son of Heaven extends for a hundred generations!"

"What is the origin of this mere Sun family? What merit have they rendered to the people of the world?!"
"When the world was in chaos, instead of thinking about supporting the Han Dynasty, he slaughtered the people of Wu, cruel and tyrannical, kidnapped the people, seized control of Jiangnan, and built up the private business of the Sun family. He was comparable to Jie and Zhou, and was resented by both men and ghosts!"

"You old barbarian, dressed in plain clothes and a scholar's turban, I never imagined you would have the audacity to speak up for that scoundrel Sun Quan!"

"You truly know nothing of propriety, righteousness, integrity, or shame, yet you've tarnished your scholar's robes!"

Zhao Guang exposed the Sun family's past massacres in Jiangdong. Bu Zhi wanted to refute it, but for a moment he didn't know how to do so, so he could only keep a cold face and remain indifferent.

Liu Shan waved his hand, summoning Mi Wei and Zhao Guang back.

Mi Wei sheathed his sword, and once again berated Bu Zhi for being an incompetent old barbarian, before returning to stand beside the emperor with an angry expression.

Liu Shan first glanced at Mi Wei's iron hooves, then turned back to look at Bu Zhi, and slowly said:
"This is Wei, the son of Mi Fang, the Duke of Anhan. In the battle to kill Cao Zhen, he had his foot cut off by Cao Wei's Tiger and Leopard Cavalry and was hit by dozens of arrows. I then ordered people to take the arrowheads, melt them down, and cast iron to repair the foot."

"Wei Zhi forgot himself, because he wanted to avenge the shame of his father and uncles, and repay the late emperor's special favor and kindness to me."

"If I were to use the world as my private possession, I would be so arrogant that I would forget myself, just like the story of Tian Heng and his five hundred followers who committed suicide, or the martyrdom of his retainers and servants."

“If I were to use the world as a public instrument, I would be so powerful that I would forget myself, and my achievements would be comparable to those of the Great Wall and the Golden Dike. I would be able to protect all the people under heaven, and I would be a virtuous ruler who would sacrifice himself for the cause.”

"Therefore, when one entrusts power to the public, it is as light as a feather, but when one entrusts it to the public good, it is as heavy as Mount Tai."

"The weight of Mount Tai does not lie in the power of the emperor himself, but in the thought of the emperor."

"A single selfish thought can cause Mount Tai to collapse."

"If one's mind is on the public good, then the Great Wall will be built."

"However, whether my thoughts are for public or private reasons, my words do not count for anything. If I ask myself honestly, I cannot find an answer. I am afraid that only after my death will future generations be able to make a final judgment on my case."

"But Lord Bu, is the Marquis of Wu's concern for the public good or for private interests?"
"After Dong Zhuo poisoned the young emperor, burned Luoyang, and fled east, the world fell apart. Then the Cao family seized power and held the emperor hostage to command the world."

"The late emperor received the imperial edict written in blood on his belt, and by the emperor's decree, he rallied the heroes of the land to jointly attack Cao Cao. He then made an alliance with the Marquis of Wu, vowing to jointly attack Cao Cao and restore the Han dynasty. Is this true?"

Regardless of what people in the world thought in private, the Kingdom of Wu was always a vassal state of the Han Dynasty, and the alliance between Sun Quan and Liu Bei always took the restoration of the Han Dynasty as its slogan and purpose, so this matter did indeed exist.

Bu Zhi could not deny it.

Seeing that Bu Zhi could not refute, Liu Shan then said:

"Since that is the case, when the late emperor beheaded Xiahou Yuan and pacified Hanzhong, and Guan Yu flooded the seven armies and captured Yu Jin, the whole country was shaken, heroes responded, Cao Cao was terrified, and discussed moving the capital with the barbarians. The restoration of the Han dynasty is just around the corner, and all loyal and devoted people are looking forward to it."

"Why did Lord Wu break the alliance and send Lü Meng to seize Jingzhou, kill my loyal officials to please the Cao family, and cause Cao Wei to decline and rise again, causing virtuous people to despair? I dare ask, is this to restore the Han Dynasty?"
"The people are still suffering and the masses are still in dire straits. May I ask you, Lord Bu, what are Lord Wu's true intentions, personal or public?"

Bu Zhi still could not answer.

When one's actions contradict the moral principles one claims to uphold, yet one profits from them, one's instinct is to avoid thinking about the matter.

Even the most wicked person doesn't believe that what they've done violates morality; it's just that the morality that wicked people uphold is different from the morality that most normal people uphold.

But Bu Zhi was not a bad person. He often wore Confucian robes and called himself a Confucian scholar and general. He always agreed with Confucian morality.

Now, Liu Shan, the very ruler persecuted by Sun Quan, has captured him and is confronting him with questions he has been avoiding all along. His unwavering principles have been challenged like never before, which has indeed made him feel both ashamed and angry.

He could no longer maintain his composed demeanor, and his anger was now written all over his face. Liu Shan chuckled inwardly and continued:
"As for the Battle of Yiling, Sun Quan sent an envoy to Luoyang again, turned north to serve Wei, and became the King of Wu of Cao Wei. He was arrogant at first and then respectful. It's laughable to think about it. I suppose there were many people who opposed him becoming the King of Wu of Wei at that time?" Bu Zhifu frowned slightly again.

At that time, the Supreme King of Wu was still the Governor of Xuzhou of Han. All the official positions of people in Jiangdong were Han officials. Even the marquises who were granted titles for their merits were all appointed by Sun Quan as the Grand Marquises of Han.

Upholding the Han dynasty and punishing Cao Cao in accordance with Heaven's will is still the righteous cause. Even those who do not agree with this righteous cause believe that the Supreme Emperor should not be called the King of Wei or Wu, thus bringing shame upon himself.

Bu Zhi was one of the opponents, but the Supreme King of Wu was very pragmatic and did not care about face; he only cared about whether he could keep his territory.

Liu Shan continued, "After the Battle of Yiling, Sun Quan's power grew stronger. Cao Wei wanted to form an alliance with him, but he refused. In September, Wei troops came to attack. Quan then humbly wrote a letter, asking to repent and beg to be entrusted with the fate of Jiaozhou."

"By the new year, the defenses were complete, so they defended the riverbank and established diplomatic relations with the Han."

"Although we made peace with Han, we did not sever ties with Wei."

"Although the reign title has been changed, he still calls himself the King of Wu."

"The world then realized that Sun Quan's submission to Wei was actually a calculated move, a way to seize the title of King of Wu."

"Upon closer reflection, it is truly laughable."

"Quan's actions included deceiving the Han dynasty once, the Wei dynasty twice, and the Wu dynasty three times."

"Those who deceive others do so out of selfishness."

"Private interests cannot last long; if they do, people will turn against you and abandon you."

“Lord Bu, the world does not belong to one person, but to all people.”

However, Quan disagreed.

"If the world cannot be made to belong to the Sun family, then it is better to let the people continue to suffer in misery, hang themselves in the cold, and be devoured by the wolves of Cao Wei."

"How could such a despicable person receive the favor of Heaven?!" Liu Shan finally became truly angry at this point.

"Lord Bu, may I say something?"

"If Sun Quan truly has the heart to benefit all the people and the ability to destroy Wei and eliminate Cao, what harm would it do to hand over the world to Sun Quan?!"

After these words were spoken, not only Bu Zhi, but also Zhao Guang, Jiang Wei and other generals were all taken aback.

Looking at the serious, earnest, and impassioned Emperor of Han before him, Bu Zhi was stunned and paled. Whether Liu Shan's words were sincere or not, the fact that he could utter such a sentence was already shocking enough.

If... if the person who uttered such a sentence truly gained the world and restored the Han Dynasty three times, how would future generations record it in history?

Looking behind the emperor, one could see several young people in the corner already writing furiously.

Liu Shan's shocking words still echoed in his mind and chest.

Does the Supreme Being have the heart to bring blessings to all people?

Does Your Majesty possess the ability to eliminate Cao Cao and destroy Wei?

After a long moment of confusion, unable to think of an answer, Bu Zhi finally said to Liu Shan:
"Your Majesty need not say any more, nor need you come to see this foreign prisoner, Bu, in person in the future."

“I am not Pan Jun; I can be a captive of the Han, but not a subject of the Han.”

"As for what Your Majesty said, I am emulating the sages who sacrificed themselves for the sake of the world, abandoning personal fame and gain..."

“How dare I, a lowly person, emulate the martyrdom of a sage?”
"It's nothing more than repaying someone with a meal by giving them his liver and brain."

Liu Shan shook his head and smiled:
"Bu Jun has misunderstood."

"I didn't come to talk about Furuhata-kun."

Bu Zhi was taken aback, then frowned in annoyance.

Liu Shan, however, suddenly spoke sincerely and gently:
"In this battle between the Han and Wu, the one who broke the alliance was not the Han, but Wu."

"When Deng Zhendong went to Xiangfan, he had already made an appointment with Zhao Cheqi. If he failed to return for a long time, it would be that Wu Hou refused Han's request and insisted on taking Xicheng, thus breaking the alliance between Han and Wu."

"As expected, Deng Zhendong failed to arrive on time. After the war between Han and Wu ended, Pan Zhang's reinforcements were indeed a hundred miles away."

"Isn't this Wu Hou's insistence on fighting Han?"

"If Lord Wu listens to Deng Zhendong's advice and cedes the western city to the Han, will the alliance between Han and Wu break down?"
"Now that Wei and Wu are facing off against each other in Xiangfan, once the Wu army suffers a defeat in Xiangfan, without a doubt, the Han navy will sail down the Yangtze River."

"If the Marquis of Wu is unwilling to take the initiative to ally with Han, then Wu will be an enemy of Han, no different from Wei. What harm is there in handing over the entire Jiangnan region to Wei?"
"The Han Dynasty can also take advantage of the war between Wei and Wu to seize Wu County, Zigui, and Yiling."

"But... the greatest enemy of Han is Wei."

"As long as the Marquis of Wu takes the initiative to sue for peace with Han, I am still willing to renew the alliance with the Marquis of Wu and launch a vigorous attack on Wei."

"If that is the case, I will release Lord Bu."

"When Lord Bu arrives, he should tell Lord Wu that he hopes Lord Wu will think more about the people of the world."

"Han and Wu can join forces to eliminate Cao's wolfish ambitions in the north. Once the north is pacified, I will discuss the Mandate of Heaven with the Marquis of Wu."

Bu Zhi paused, remaining silent.

His intention in surrendering to the Han was to give the Han-Wu alliance a chance to ease tensions.

In hindsight, he did make the right decision.

Just then, the servants brought the food to the door.

Liu Shan had no habit of wasting food. He ordered his servants to bring in the food, and then sat down at the table, finishing the bowl of millet porridge with carp from the Han River and sunflower soup.

Bu Zhi also picked up his chopsticks and finished his meal.

"What is this? Call the cook!"

Zhao Guang's angry and startled voice suddenly echoed in the room, drawing everyone's attention.

Bu Zhi also looked up and saw the so-called Dragon General reach his hand towards Liu Shan's desk and then grab something.

Liu Shan shook his head and smiled, saying, "Bijiang, there's no need for that."

Zhao Guang's expression of shock and anger had not yet subsided, and he said:
"Your Majesty, how could the cook be so careless as to let a vegetable worm get mixed into the soup, knowing that Your Majesty was the one who was eating?!"

The cook was originally responsible for preparing meals for General Zhao. Anyone in the room could have appeased the matter by complying with His Majesty's wishes, but Zhao Guang could not.

Moreover, the emperor's food and water are of utmost importance and must be carefully considered.

The cook was quickly carried in by two burly Ryushorou. After the Ryushorou released him, the cook seemed to have no bones and collapsed to the ground.

"Your Majesty...Your Majesty, spare my life!"

"I...I washed the vegetables myself..."

“I used ash water to remove the insects and clean water to wash away the dust.”

"I washed the vegetables seven times, I washed them very carefully, as carefully as I could have, it's impossible... there couldn't be any vegetable bugs..."

The cook, who had collapsed to the ground, was so frightened that he was practically out of his wits, tears and snot streaming down his face.

"Stop making excuses!" Zhao Guang stepped forward, grabbed the cook by the collar, and lifted him up.

"His Majesty's meal is such an important matter, yet such a mishap has occurred. What if it was poisoned by someone with ulterior motives?!"
"Are you someone with ulterior motives?!"

"Guards, arrest everyone in the kitchen and interrogate them thoroughly! If they can't get any information, execute them all!"

The cook grew increasingly terrified and panicked, until finally he fainted.

Even the Longxianglang, who had never seen such a scene before, changed color slightly.

To be honest, even Liu Shan was somewhat surprised.

Since the Northern Expedition, he had never encountered even a single problem concerning his personal safety. Today, however, was the first time he had seen Zhao Guang, the General of the Dragon Cavalry, so angry and dutiful.

For someone who had experienced modern canteen life, eating a small vegetable worm was simply a way to supplement protein, so he didn't think much of it.

Moreover... this wasn't the first time he'd pulled a worm out of a vegetable.

When he was in Guanzhong, he often ate from the same pot with his soldiers.

He would occasionally encounter vegetable worms, but he would just throw them away without Zhao Guang noticing.

Before long, all the servants who had entered the kitchen and had come into contact with the emperor's food and drink were arrested by Long Xianglang and were about to be taken away.

Liu Shan went out and stopped them.

"There's no need for that, just release them all."

"People are always prone to oversights. It's just a vegetable worm, and it's easy to mistake it for a sunflower. It's understandable that people can't find it."

“Pijiang just said that he would interrogate them strictly, and if he couldn’t get any information out of them, he would execute them all.”

"If that's the case, unless someone disregards the punishment of their relatives and comes forward to admit that they deliberately poisoned the insects."

"Otherwise, I'm afraid all of these people would have been executed."

"I am well, why is this happening?"

"I am dining here on a whim."

"If nine people die unjustly because of this, how can I have peace of mind?"

Zhao Guang's anger had not subsided, and he was about to say something more, but Liu Shan stopped him with a smile, telling him not to say anything more.

He then instructed Long Xianglang to release the servants who were terrified and in tears.

He then personally comforted the servants, saying, "Be more careful in the future, and make sure there are no vegetable worms in Bu Jun's food."

"Yes!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

All the servants in charge of the meals knelt down and kowtowed in gratitude, as if they had survived a calamity.

Liu Shan returned to the room.

The cook, who had just fainted, had woken up but seemed unaware of what was happening outside and remained limp on the ground.

Upon seeing the emperor enter, he repeatedly kowtowed and begged for mercy, proving his innocence.

Liu Shan smiled and said to Zhao Guang, "Bijiang, find a different cook for Bu Jun."

"Yes, sir!" Zhao Guang bowed his head in obedience and glared at the cook.

Upon hearing this and seeing the situation, the cook turned pale.

Liu Shan looked at the cook and smiled:
"Send someone to talk to General Zilong and ask him to reluctantly give up his cook position to me."

Everyone in the room, including the cook, was stunned.

"The food you cooked suited my taste perfectly, especially the sunflower soup with the vegetable worms. Did you use any special seasoning?"

The cook was both surprised and frightened, and answered repeatedly:

"Your Majesty... I used powdered wild mushrooms as a seasoning for several dishes today!"

Liu Shan suddenly realized and laughed, "Alright, from now on you will go and prepare meals for me."

"Yes!" The cook kowtowed again.

Liu Shan turned to leave.

However, after walking a few steps, he stopped again: "By the way, what's your name?"

"My name is Liu Xingzu!" the cook hurriedly replied.

"Alright, I've got it." Liu Shan nodded with a smile, and finally left the residence with Zhao Guang, Jiang Wei, and the others.

The cook was also taken away by Ryūjōrō.

A moment later, the sound of the mansion gate closing could be heard.

Bu Zhi then slowly walked out of the room.

Looking at the closed gate, and then at the servants still sobbing and shaken in the courtyard, Bu Zhi frowned and thoughtfully paced back into his room.

(End of this chapter)