Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 227 If a person has no heart, can they still live?
In the main hall of Xiangyang, the candlelight was dim, and the shadows of people swayed.

Was Yuan Gonglu a loyal and virtuous man of the Han Dynasty?

Impossible! Absolutely impossible!

So what did he mean by those words?
While Liu Biao hesitated, he saw a man with a sword leading a group of armored soldiers into the hall.

The man was handsome and elegant, dressed in fine clothes. Who else could he be but Yuan Shu?
Upon seeing the newcomer, Cai Mao quickly bowed and greeted him with a forced smile.

“Liu Jingzhou hesitated and refused to accept the imperial decree. Mao was incompetent in handling the matter. It was such a trivial matter that Your Majesty had to come in person. I have failed Your Majesty’s expectations.”

Yuan Shu raised his hand to gesture for him to rise, indicating that there was no need for formalities. Then, his cold eyes fixed on the hesitant Liu Biao, and he sneered, saying:

"Brother Jingsheng, are you defying the imperial decree? Are you plotting a rebellion?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a group of armored soldiers drew their swords, their blades gleaming coldly.

The courtiers were silent as cicadas in winter, none daring to speak.

Liu Biao was also terrified, but for the sake of his own reputation, since he still had to die bravely ahead, he couldn't just surrender as soon as Yuan Shu arrived.
If that were the case, how would the world view him? If he were to lose face like that, he would rather die immediately and be done with it than suffer such a great humiliation.

Therefore, despite being terrified, Liu pretended to be calm and stubbornly rebuked the thief in a loud voice.

"Disobeying the imperial decree? Whose decree am I disobeying, and whose rebellion am I plotting?"
You traitor Yuan, kill me if you want, torture me if you want!
No matter how eloquent your words, even if Su Qin and Zhang Yi were alive today, there is absolutely no way I would stoop to your level and collude with you in your evil deeds!

Unexpectedly, upon seeing Liu Biao's righteous and awe-inspiring statement, Yuan Shu couldn't help but laugh. He clapped his hands in praise as he laughed:
“What a great member of the Han imperial family, a nobleman of the Han dynasty! Brother Jingsheng’s generosity and loyalty have indeed not disappointed me.”

In this light, it seems we are kindred spirits. It's only a pity that Brother Jingsheng has been misled by that traitor Cao, misunderstanding the art to this extent.

Liu Biao: "???"

Who shares your views?

You've already referred to yourself as "朕" (the imperial "I") and issued a forged edict. What misunderstanding could possibly exist between us?
Seeing his confusion, Yuan Shu chuckled and said, "Brother Jingsheng, would you dare to listen to what I have to say?"

Liu Biao glanced at the armored soldiers and swords surrounding him, swallowed hard, and forced himself to remain calm, "What is there to be afraid of?"

Yuan Shu looked sorrowful, let out a long sigh, and began to recount his story.

"Have you not seen how, at the end of the Shang Dynasty, the world was in great chaos, and the nine provinces were scattered, just like today?"

When a country is about to fall into chaos, there will surely be monsters. In that year, a fox spirit entered the court, took the empress's name, and used the emperor to command the feudal lords.

Bi Gan, a member of the Shang clan, possessed the ambition to save the nation from collapse and the talent to bring peace and prosperity to the country.

The empress feared him, so she seized the king's life and used Bi Gan's clever mind.

Bi Gan was known for his loyalty and righteousness. He opened his heart and asked the question:
'Can a person live without a heart?'

A: 'A person without a heart dies.'

Bi Gan then committed suicide to preserve his loyalty as a subject.

His name has been recorded in history and passed down to future generations.

It is a pity that after Bigan died, the wicked queen brought disaster to the country, and no one could control it. The Shang Dynasty was destroyed. How tragic!
By learning from history, we can understand the rise and fall of dynasties. The Shang Dynasty, which lasted for thousands of years, is now the Han Dynasty. The wicked empress of a chaotic era is just like the traitor Cao Cao of today!

He held the emperor hostage to command the feudal lords, used the king's orders to rule the world, brought disaster to the country and its people, controlled the government, and brought the country to the brink of collapse. How is he any different from a monster?

If you, Liu Biao, are a member of the Han imperial family, a nobleman of the Han dynasty, full of learning and strategy, are you not similar to Bi Gan, the uncle of the king in the past?
The magistrate possessed the talent and ambition to save the court, assist the emperor, and revive the Han dynasty three times.

But if one is burdened by temporary fame and sacrifices one's integrity to the death, seeking only momentary pleasure, what good will that do for the great Han Dynasty?
As Sima Qian said, this is what is meant by dying as lightly as a feather.

As for your claim that this art is thieving, it's because people in the world don't hesitate to judge it with malice, which truly misunderstands me deeply!

Imagine if Zhuge Liang had all nine counties of Jingzhou and Xiangyang, and ruled over the southeast, controlling half of the country, dividing it along the river, what could he possibly achieve?
In the past, from Houji to King Wen of Zhou, they accumulated virtue and merit, and controlled two-thirds of the world, yet they still served as subjects to the Shang.

Although the current dynasty has prospered for generations, it is not as prosperous as the Zhou dynasty. Although the Han dynasty was weak, it was not as tyrannical as the Yin dynasty under King Zhou.

If the Holy Emperor can restore order to the court, and his royal decrees can be carried out throughout the four seas and his policies can be implemented in the nine provinces, how could Shu dare to disobey?
If I were to disobey, the hearts of the people would turn against me in an instant, and my reputation would be ruined. How could I possibly survive?
Therefore, it was the Shang Dynasty that destroyed the Shang Dynasty, not the Zhou Dynasty; and it was the Han Dynasty that destroyed the Han Dynasty, not the Zhou Dynasty.

Alas! If the king's decree were issued from Chaoge and carried out throughout the four seas, the feudal lords would not dare to act rashly.

If the king were to be close to virtuous ministers and keep away from petty men, eliminate wicked and treacherous officials, and restore peace to the world, then the Shang dynasty could rise again for four hundred years and last for a thousand or ten thousand generations. Who could possibly destroy the kingdom then?

Merchants have no time to mourn their own fate, yet the Han people mourn for them; the Han people mourn but do not learn from this, thus causing future generations to mourn for the Han people again!

Yuan Shu, with tears welling in his eyes, seemed to be expressing genuine emotion as he tightly grasped Liu Biao's hand.

"Brother Jingsheng, Bi Gan once asked: 'If a person has no heart, can he still live?'"

Now, let me ask you a question: If a nation has no will, can it still exist?
The capital city and the imperial court in Luoyang have become so corrupt that monsters and evil spirits have sprung up and the people's hearts have been lost, which is why we are in this state today.

I ask you, what benefit will our struggle for Jingzhou bring to the Han Dynasty, regardless of victory or defeat?
Brother Jingsheng is generous and loyal, willing to die for the country, so why should he be afraid to enter the court to eliminate the traitors?
Brother Jingsheng, for the sake of your own reputation, are you willing to emulate Bi Gan of the Shang Dynasty, sacrificing your life to preserve your integrity, even at the cost of the nation's destruction?

Yuan Shu's words were all reasonable, even citing classical texts and drawing lessons from history. He was so eloquent and moving that Liu Biao could not help but be moved.

Before he could ponder the true meaning behind it, Yuan Shu looked at the assembled officials and immediately saw them rushing towards Liu Biao, offering repeated advice.

"My lord, the general is absolutely right!"

"With the evil forces within the country still unchecked, the priority should be the emperor in the capital region; why concern ourselves with trivial matters in the provinces?"

"That is indeed the case. Our great Han Dynasty still has a holy emperor in court. It is just that in recent years, there have been many evil people like Dong Zhuo and Cao Cao, which has led to this chaotic situation."

At this critical juncture when the dynasty is on the verge of collapse and needs capable men, it would be better for my lord to risk everything for the sake of the nation than to die a martyr.

"The saying 'enduring hardship and biding one's time' is a lesson from the past, where three thousand Yue soldiers were able to conquer Wu."

This enabled Bi Gan to endure humiliation and hardship, secretly accumulate strength, eliminate the evil forces in the country, restore order, and assist the holy emperor in governing the four seas and the eight states.

Then the nine provinces submitted, and even with the Zhou dynasty's prosperity, it was still unable to revolt.

Why should my lord be so impulsive and disregard life and death?

"With your talent, my lord, you can repeat your previous feat of riding alone into Jingzhou and venture into Luoyang by yourself."

"Alone on horseback, single-handedly protecting the country and the emperor, how could the emperor not be pleased upon seeing him, and regard him as a trusted advisor?"

"Indeed, my lord has lived up to the expectations of the Han Dynasty and the nation, and can be regarded as a paragon of all previous emperors."

"To preserve one's body for future use, so as to plan for the future, would be more meaningful to posterity than to die today?"

"This"

Liu Biao originally intended to rebuke Yuan Shu no matter what he said!
However, upon hearing Yuan Shu's heartfelt words and the earnest advice of his ministers, he became even more hesitant.

Liu Biao had thought that if he fell into Yuan Shu's hands, even if he didn't die today, he would be imprisoned for life and suffer a lifetime of humiliation.

But to everyone's surprise, Yuan Gonglu not only spared his life but also allowed him to return to Luoyang to do what Bi Gan did, assist the emperor, and support the great cause.
Doesn't he know the principle of eliminating the root of the problem?
Aren't you afraid that with your help, the emperor will indeed take control of Luoyang, swallow up Guanzhong, dominate the north with righteousness, and then lead a million northern soldiers to sweep across the south to seek revenge and punish this traitor?
That's impossible! How could he not be afraid of such a simple truth? Yuan Gonglu shouldn't be that stupid.

Or perhaps, after eliminating all the wrong options, the least likely answer is actually true.

Was Yuan Gonglu truly a loyal and virtuous man?
Only in this way can he be unafraid, and even welcome the outcome!

Therefore, he was not afraid to become the emperor's uncle, Bi Gan, or to help the emperor grow stronger in the north.

Since he was originally loyal and virtuous, why should he fear the strength of the Han Dynasty? Could it be that all the accusations against him, such as using the imperial title, forging imperial edicts, and being disloyal, were actually a result of his own good intentions?
He did this on purpose, just to gather treacherous officials and traitors around him, relying on their invincible power to sweep away the feudal lords.

Finally, he deliberately failed and was defeated by the emperor, who sent away all the treacherous officials and traitors, thus enabling the three emperors to revive the Han dynasty and achieve the great cause of restoring the nation.

He would rather bear the infamy of ten thousand generations than betray the loyalty of the Yuan family, which has been held by four generations of high-ranking officials.

shock!
If it is truly as he imagines, then Yuan Gonglu's loyalty to the Han people is so great that it makes him, a member of the Han clan, feel ashamed and embarrassed.

Such integrity was unmatched even by Boyi and Shuqi, who lived in seclusion on Shouyang Mountain at the end of the Shang Dynasty, refusing to eat Zhou grain and subsisting on wild herbs.

But then again, can there really be such loyal and righteous people in the world who, in order to save the world from collapse, single-handedly defy the chaos, endure hardships and tribulations, and are willing to be covered in thorns, all for the sake of the Han Dynasty?
hiss~
Recalling all the false edicts Yuan Shu had previously issued, in which he proclaimed himself loyal and virtuous, and spoke of his ambition to support the state and his heart to protect the emperor, Liu Biao couldn't help but gasp in shock.

The feudal lords scoffed at this, considering it nothing more than a joke.

But then I thought about it again, given Yuan Shu's current position in the southeast and his momentum of sweeping across the world.

Even Yuan Gonglu's intentions are already known to everyone, so why should he act so childishly and make a fool of himself?

Unless what he said is actually true!
Otherwise, Liu Biao simply couldn't understand why he would let go of such a major threat, allowing a tiger to return to the mountains and go to Luoyang to support the emperor, thus becoming a future problem.

In particular, his heartfelt words just now were truly earnest and insightful!

Anyone with discernment in the world knows that the Han Dynasty is already terminally ill, but this illness is not caused by the various regional lords and their branches across the nine provinces.

The problem lies not in the capital region, but in the heart of Luoyang.

The question is: [Can a person live without a heart?]

The question remains: If a nation has no will, can it still exist?

Liu Biao remained silent; the answer was self-evident.

A nation without a heart will perish!

Yes, what good would it do for the Han Dynasty to fight with Yuan Shu for the short-term gains and losses of Jingzhou?

Even if Yuan Shu had not attacked, and the nine commanderies of Jing and Xiang had been in his hands, would the decline of the Han Dynasty have been reversed?

Not also!

Only by entering Luoyang to support the emperor, eliminating the traitor Cao Cao, returning power to the emperor, and ensuring that royal decrees are carried out throughout the land and government orders are issued across the nine provinces, can we save the crumbling edifice and turn the tide.

With this in mind, Liu Biao finally turned his gaze to Kuai Liang.

Seeing the questioning look in his eyes, Kuai Liang knew his lord was already interested, so he quickly pressed his advantage and advised him:

"My lord need not worry. What Lord Yuan said is not a lie. There is precedent for this."

Does my lord still remember Liu Yao, the governor of Yangzhou?

Liu Yao was also a member of the Han imperial family, but his life experiences were not entirely the same as those of our lord today.

He also fought alongside Yuan Shikai in Yangzhou, but was defeated and captured. Yuan Shikai was moved by his loyalty and sent him to Luoyang to plead guilty.

Unexpectedly, Li and Guo caused a great disturbance in Luoyang, with one holding the emperor hostage and the other taking the officials hostage.

After the emperor fled, Liu Yao protected the country and the emperor along the way, turning the tide and demonstrating his loyalty and righteousness.

Finally, when the emperor entered Luoyang, he appointed him as Grand Tutor, consulting him on everything and treating him as a teacher. He was a pillar of the Han central government who stood against the traitor Cao Cao, a banner that never fell.

With your talent, my lord, if you were to enter Luoyang, your status would certainly be no less than Liu Yao's.

Furthermore, with Yuan Shao's recommendation, he was promoted to Grand Tutor. After eliminating the traitor Cao Cao, he would become a pillar of the state, assisting the emperor in governing the country and restoring order to the land. But even this remains to be seen!

Upon hearing this, Liu Biao's eyes lit up!
This matter was not actually a lie told by Yuan Shu; there was precedent for it.

It's better to live a wretched life than to die a good death, and Liu Biao certainly wouldn't seek death if he could live.

Since not only will he not be confined, but he can even have a great future in Luoyang, then it seems there's no need to risk his life for it?

Once you go to Luoyang and achieve great things for the country, if Yuan Shu is indeed a loyal subject of the Han Dynasty, enduring humiliation and bearing the infamy, then naturally everyone will be happy.

Even if that's not the case, even if he harbors malicious intentions, what he said today is all a lie.

Then, after I assist the emperor in restoring order to the court, I can mobilize the entire nation to attack him again!

At worst, we can fight him and then settle the score.

In any case, he did not surrender; he was defeated and captured, like Liu Yao, and was sent to Luoyang to plead guilty. His reputation was not damaged in the slightest.

Even when they achieve great success, their humiliation and hardship will only enhance their reputation.

Thoughts raced through his mind. Liu Biao took the imperial edict from Cai Mao, faced the direction of Luoyang, and bowed in respect.

"Your subject, Liu Biao, Governor of Jingzhou, receives the imperial decree and expresses his gratitude!"

Upon seeing this, the officials of Jingzhou breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, they no longer had to follow their lord to die for justice.

Even Yuan Shu nodded in satisfaction upon seeing this.

Given his current power and status, it's not impossible for him to forcibly kill Liu Biao, but there's no need for it.

Let alone Liu Biao, even a famous scholar like Mi Heng made Liu Biao and Cao Cao hesitant to kill him, yet also troubled by his presence.

And Liu Biao? He was both a renowned scholar and a member of the Han imperial family, essentially a great version of Mi Heng.

Today, Yuan Shu's act of sending Liu Biao to Luoyang is strikingly similar to Liu Biao's act of sending Mi Heng to Luoyang.

Such a troublesome and difficult person should be left to Cao Cao to kill. Anyway, his reputation was already ruined when he slaughtered Xuzhou, so he's not afraid of getting itchy when he has too many lice.

In contrast, Yuan Shu's seemingly sincere words to Liu Biao were actually a trap set for him.

I urge you to emulate Bi Gan of the Shang Dynasty, not to die for your loyalty, but to revitalize the Shang Dynasty.

This is on the premise that you truly have the ability to be like Bi Gan.

Otherwise, they're nothing but dry bones in a tomb!
Even if the emperor truly eliminates Cao Cao and takes control of the court, his reliance on Liu Biao would make him nothing more than another Sun Quan. Yuan Shu would be too happy to care, so what is there to fear?

Moreover, if they went to Luoyang, they wouldn't be able to get past Cao Cao alone.

I don't expect anything else. If Cao Cao is indeed defeated at Wancheng as predicted, I'll be grateful if you, Brother Jingsheng, can play the role of a loyal minister and cause him some trouble.

After all, if I had to choose between Cao Cao and Liu Biao as an opponent, I would definitely choose you, Brother Jingsheng.

However, Liu Biao was completely unaware of the secrets and inside stories behind this.

That's just how people are; they always think they're the most special one.

If others cannot serve the country and protect the emperor in Luoyang, achieve great things, assist the emperor, and regain control of the government, it must be because I, Liu Jingsheng, am not here!

What is Bi Gan, a mere nobody?
My talent, Liu Jingsheng's, far surpasses his!

(End of this chapter)