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

Chapter 300 I am like the sun and moon in the heavens, the Great Dao is manifest.

In the Han King's Palace, candlelight flickered and clouds and mist swirled.

Fu De prostrated himself on the ground, referring to himself as his humble subject, and humbly presented the imperial edict.

On the high platform, Yuan Shu stroked the imperial edict in his hand, his eyes unfathomable.

With those words proclaiming, "A capable minister who can rectify the world and save the people," and affirming the loyalty of the King of Han, they were proclaimed in the palace.

The guards felt honored and were all grateful for the Emperor's reliance on the King of Han.

However, at the very moment the edict was read aloud, Yuan Shu held a corner of the edict between his fingers and raised it over the candlelight.

As the flames spread and blazed, igniting the edict, Fu De knelt with his head bowed, feeling as if he could already see the entire Han Dynasty, which would be just like the edict before him.

As the King of Han raised his hand, he ignited the entire land, causing the world to boil in turmoil.

Why did the King of Han go to such lengths?
The Emperor trusts and relies on you. By accepting this edict, you are recognized by the court and are a loyal subject of the Han Dynasty, accepted by all under Heaven!

In the future, he will fight against the rebels for the court, uphold righteousness and punish the tyrannical. Any prince who dares to be disobedient will betray the righteous cause and rebel.

Why did you act on a momentary rage, thereby inciting the ruler of the state, causing the imperial power to become unbalanced, and bringing chaos to the land?
This is a calamity for all people, the root of chaos in this world!

However, when Yuan Shu saw him tearfully banging his head on the ground, he only gave him a cold glance.

"This is a forged imperial edict!"
"That traitor Cao Cao forged an imperial edict to usurp the Mandate of Heaven. I humbly believe that by bestowing upon him righteousness and offering him fame and fortune, he can make me and my Han state collude with him, becoming utterly wicked."

As he spoke, he twirled the last spark between his fingers into dust and scattered it on the table.

His words, like a royal decree, resounded with authority.

But he was wrong!
The current court is now under the control of the traitor Cao Cao, and the throne is now empty.

The emperor was imprisoned in the palace, Han officials shed blood in the streets, the people wept without a place to go, and nine out of ten houses in the Central Plains were empty!

Piles of white bones lay scattered across the fields; the blatant evil deeds echoed throughout the great river!

The emperor's weeping, the common people's lament, the glorious Han Dynasty's final proclamation after four hundred years!
Imperial brother-in-law!

Fu Qing!!!

Do you expect me to ignore this empty piece of paper?
They falsely claim to be loyal ministers, grant me the power of righteousness, and promise me the benefits of trade, all in an attempt to make me acknowledge this false imperial edict and the illegitimate dynasty of Luoyang!
"Cao Mengde, do you think I'm a three-year-old child?"

He chuckled coldly, and the glint in his eyes beneath his crown sent chills down the spines of those who looked at him.

"I am a loyal subject of the Han Dynasty!"

Why should we need the recognition of your false dynasty and false edict?

The entire land, the people, and all living beings bear witness to this!

"Four princes of the Liu family have sworn blood oaths with me; the council of princes has vindicated me; half of the extraordinary talents in the land are my former retainers and advisors; and throughout the entire realm, there are great scholars who will debate the classics for me!"

Amidst the swirling clouds and mist, like a wicked dragon lowering its eyes, it stared at Fu De and smiled meaningfully.

"I wear the imperial seal, don the dragon robe, travel to three provinces, and govern the people."

This act of supporting the Han dynasty and rectifying the nation is as clear as the sun and moon in the sky, and the great way is manifest.

"Does Fu Qing agree?"

Voldemort: "."

Fude remained silent, not daring to utter a word, burying his head in the ground and not daring to look up or look directly at anyone.

They seemed rather bored with his feigned deafness and dumbness.

The King of Han held a pestle and lightly tapped the bronze chime to signal that he could leave. Only the lingering sound remained, but a word reached Fu De's ears like a thunderclap, deafening and awakening.

The king said:

"Go back and tell the imperial court."

"I am heading north."

Fu De's face turned ashen, and he staggered in fear. Fortunately, Cao Anmin helped him up, and he slowly walked out of the palace.

Upon leaving Shouchun Palace and standing on Yihuan Street, Fu Decai suddenly realized that his clothes were already soaked through.

Recalling his encounter with the King of Han, he felt utterly lost and bewildered, looking up at the sky and down at the earth.

The King of Han today is far more terrifying than Yuan Gong, who offered gold and silver, cooked people into porridge, and threatened to lead an army of 300,000 north to return the imperial seal if he spoke any further.

Today, he no longer needs to use gold and silver to curry favor or threaten with military force.

He merely sits on his throne, yet he must fawn upon and flatter with the manners of a lowly subject.

And then he said: "I am heading north."

More chilling than any threatening words.

I fear that if these five words were brought back to Luoyang, from Cao Cao himself to his ministers, everyone would be restless and tossing and turning in bed!

But behind these five short words lies a scene of war raging across the Yangtze River, both inside and outside the Central Plains, with rivers flowing with blood.

Just as he was walking aimlessly down the street, not knowing where to go, he heard the peddler's cries.

"Steamed buns, freshly baked Hanwang buns, special offer for the first month of the lunar year, three coins each, ten coins for three!"

Voldemort: "???"

Is there something wrong with what you're selling?

Seeing him stop, the peddler assumed he wanted to buy something and hurried over to try and sell it to him.

"Sir, are you from out of town?"

You've never eaten steamed buns before? This is a new way of eating them, personally taught by the King of Han and recorded in the "Taiping Shijing" (Classic of Food for Peace).

"The Taiping Food Classic? The King of Han wrote this?"

"Of course! On the first page of the Food Classic, the King of Han wrote in his own hand: 'Food is the first necessity of the people.'"

Therefore, after the *Taiping Kaiwu*, he also bestowed upon him a celestial book, the *Shijing* (Food Classic).

"Is food the most important thing for the people?" This is what Li Shiqi advised Emperor Taizu Gaozu: "The ruler regards the people as the most important thing, and the people regard food as the most important thing."

Fu De was surprised; he hadn't expected to hear such classical allusions and stories from a mere peddler in the Han Kingdom.

Out of curiosity, he bought a steamed bun and tried it; it tasted delicious.

When he turned his gaze away from his inner turmoil, from the flames of war in the Central Plains, from the Han King's northward march, and from the affairs of the emperor and the state, he looked up.

Looking up at the long street, shops lined the street, and the sounds of vendors hawking their wares filled the air.

Some people take advantage of the winter to carve ice into shavings and make ice porridge, which makes their mouths and teeth feel cold from the cold.

There was a hot pot placed in front of him, which was hot and spicy, so he quickly bought a bowl of iced porridge.
There are also candied hawthorns, tofu pudding, and candied fruits, a dazzling array of choices.

Fu De, having tasted all the flavors of life along the way, saw the bustling street and the joyful faces of the people, and suddenly felt tears welling up in his eyes.

Looking back at Luoyang in the past, it was just as bustling as Shouchun is today, with a constant stream of people. The people were proud to be under the emperor's nose and looked down on outsiders.

His experiences and observations today far surpass those of Luoyang in the past.

In contrast, what is left of Luoyang today?

Is it those majestic palace walls that have been burned down time and time again?

Is it still the long street where the blood of loyalty and integrity was spilled and is still wet to this day?
Or perhaps it is a desolate city, with armored soldiers patrolling and on guard, and nine out of ten houses empty.

"What to do? What to do!!!"

This destiny changes, who can defy it?

Fu De could only sigh helplessly and left in dejection.

He was to purchase rare goods from Shouchun with Cao Anmin and bring back news of the King of Han's intention to march north to Luoyang.

After Fu De left, in the royal palace, Yuan Shu was pondering his plan to march north when he suddenly heard a servant announce with joy:

"Your Majesty! Great joy! Great joy!!!"

Lady Da Qiao is pregnant.

"it is good!

This is a great achievement; you are worthy of being promoted to Imperial Concubine!

As Yuan Shu spoke, he hurriedly got up and left the hall, heading towards the inner palace.

Not long after, in Xuzhou.

"The King of Han has sent an envoy!"

Upon hearing the news of the arrival of the King of Han's envoy, Lü Bu hurriedly led Chen Gong to greet him.

A continuous stream of carriages and horses arrived, and Lü Bu went to greet the leading envoy.

"Mr. Jiang, come on over."

"My alliance with the King of Han is based on marriage; why should I send such a lavish gift?"

Jiang Gan returned the greeting politely and said with a smile:
"General Lü is mistaken; these are all empty carriages."

The king said, "Since we have a marriage alliance, why not come to congratulate us with proper etiquette?" He smiled, but his tone gradually turned cold.

The King of Han sent Gan to ask the general a question:
Why did you change your mind, Fengxian?

If he hadn't changed his mind, why didn't he bring gifts to congratulate her at her coronation ceremony?

Upon hearing this, Lü Bu's expression suddenly darkened.

What does that mean? Sending an envoy with hundreds of empty cars?
Yuan Gonglu! What do you mean by this?
How dare you insult me?

Just as Lü Bu was about to lash out, Jiang Gan, the high-ranking envoy of the King of Han, merely chuckled coldly.

General Lü, be careful what you say!
My King of Han said that if the general is unwilling to become his in-law, then he will become his enemy.

"The general wouldn't want to be greeted by a million armored soldiers instead of me next time, would he?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Bu's words, which were about to erupt, were abruptly blocked in his throat, and he was unable to speak.

Looking back on his life, he first paid homage to Ding Yuan, then to Dong Zhuo, and finally followed Liu Bei.

Every time, isn't it true that a great man should first endure his anger and then live between heaven and earth?

At present, the King of Han is powerful, and for now, he is relegated to a subordinate position.

Lü Bu then smiled ingratiatingly and said to him:
"Given the kinship between Bu and the Prince of Han, why does Mr. Jiang speak of such distant relations?"

As for these large vehicles
"Sir, you have just arrived today and are weary from your journey. Let us first enter the city to welcome you; we can discuss the important matters another day."

Jiang Gan nodded in satisfaction and said to Bu, "Excellent."

After the banquet, Chen Gong went to see him.

Lu Bu's face was no longer smiling; he angrily slammed his wine cup to the ground.

“I set out on a mission with hundreds of empty carriages, and even Jiang Ziyi dared to look down on me.”

This is utterly absurd!

Yuan Gonglu has gone too far; is Bu An willing to sit idly by and wait to die?

As he spoke, he raised his fierce eyes and looked at Chen Gong who had entered.

“Gongtai!
Now that Yuan Shu has declared himself king, what does the imperial court mean by this?
When will Cao Mengde lead his troops south? We can send someone to contact him, telling him that when his army approaches Yuzhou, we should send troops to respond.

However, Chen Gong's response was a helpless, bitter smile.

"General, the imperial court will not send troops."

The latest intelligence indicates that Empress Fu's brother, Fu De, has arrived in Huainan with an imperial edict.

When he entered the palace, he referred to the imperial court as a lower state and respectfully regarded the King of Han as a superior state.

The Emperor issued an edict praising the King of Han as a loyal and virtuous minister of the Great Han Dynasty, saying: "A capable minister who can rectify the world and save the people!"

"what?"

Upon hearing this, Lü Bu turned pale with fright.

"Has Cao Mengde gone mad?"

Could Yuan Gonglu really be a loyal and virtuous man of the Han Dynasty?

Are all the people in the world blind?

Among all the feudal lords of the time, he was the most presumptuous and immoral, deceiving the emperor and disrespecting his superiors!

Today he proclaims himself king, tomorrow he proclaims himself emperor; his methods of seizing control of the world are clearly revealed.

"Can this really be considered a loyal and virtuous official of the Han Dynasty?"

"He's not crazy."

Chen Gong shook his head and sighed, "It's precisely because he can't go south now, nor does he dare to go south."

Therefore, only by issuing an edict appointing the King of Han as a loyal and virtuous ruler and granting him the title of king by the emperor can the hearts of the people be at peace.

Otherwise, if the King of Han is again denounced as a traitor, troops will surely be sent to suppress him. If the suppression fails and the army is defeated and returns, the empire will change hands in an instant.

He hurriedly advised Lü Bu, saying:
"General, please bear with your anger for now and then consider this further."

The Emperor issued an edict to the King of Han, instructing him to first eliminate the general and the likes of Yuan Shao, Liu Zhang, and Ma Teng, and then restore order to the empire.

This is called "adding fuel to the fire" in order to stabilize the King of Han.

Fortunately, the King of Han saw through the plan easily, burned the imperial edict on the spot, and had no intention of advancing his troops into Xuzhou.

However, after that, the King of Han sent Jiang Gan as an envoy, his intentions being self-evident.

The edict that summoned the generals and other feudal lords to pacify the world could be burned by the King of Han, but he could also forge the Imperial Seal to rewrite it.

General, you must not act rashly at this time, becoming Cao Cao's shield and bringing disaster upon Xuzhou.

"what?
How dare that traitor Cao Cao do such a thing?

I have made an alliance with him, promising to advance and retreat together to preserve our foundation.

He actually went so far as to humble himself and feign weakness before Yuan, intending to use me as a shield to block the advance of the Prince of Han's army?

Lu Bu was both angry and furious, completely unaware that he had done anything wrong in wanting Cao Cao to march south and draw Yuan Shu's firepower.

He frowned slightly, as if a sudden inspiration had struck him, and he had thought of something.

"So it seems that the court is already showing signs of weakness and fatigue."

Now that Yuan Shu has declared himself king, we not only do not send troops to punish him, but we also legitimize his claim.

If Nabu were to declare himself king, Cao Cao would issue an imperial edict praising him to reassure me.

Otherwise, if Bu completely sides with Huainan, he will be in serious trouble.

Lu Bu's eyes grew brighter as he spoke, "This is the perfect time for me to declare myself king, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

"Ah? General."

Seeing that Lü Bu hadn't said more than a few words, why was he already thinking about becoming king again?
Just as Chen Gong was about to offer some advice, Lü Bu interrupted him.

“Gongtai, do not worry.”

Bu was not a man without strategy.

Since the carriages and horses brought by Jiang Gan were to be filled to celebrate the King of Han and thus avoid war, it was already a foregone conclusion.

Why not make this gift even more valuable?
Now Bu should claim the title of King of Qi, and bring hundreds of carriages and horses as tribute to the Han state, thus becoming a vassal state.

Bu didn't believe that Yuan Gonglu could send troops to attack his own country.
I have recently heard that he intends to head north. Although the court is weak, there are still eight formidable passes outside Luoyang, which are enough to keep the situation at a standstill.

Regardless of who wins or loses, Bu will only act to restore order, just as he did when he took Xuzhou from Xuande, and reap some benefits.

Chen Gong: "."

His bitter expression deepened, and he let out a long, drawn-out sigh.

"Since the general has already made a plan, why bother with Gong's schemes?"

"Gongtai said it in jest."

Bu's current success is all thanks to Gongtai's planning, and his claim to the title of King of Qi still depends on Gongtai's handling of the coronation ceremony.

"You are even more needed to skillfully navigate between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, playing both sides to achieve great things!"

Chen Gong was about to leave with his hands clasped in respect when Lü Bu stood up and grasped his hand tightly.

As a refined and scholarly man, how could he break free from Lü Bu's control? Under Lü Bu's constant urging, he had no choice but to help him perfect his so-called plan to become king.

Youzhou.

As large ships bearing the inscription "Acting on Behalf of Heaven" appeared on the sea, Gan Ning and Jiang Qin, fully loaded with cargo, directed their soldiers to maneuver the ships slowly to shore.

A large army was already waiting on the shore, with a military flag bearing the character "Zhao".

Seeing people disembarking and unloading cargo from the large ship, Zhao Yun hurriedly rode over.

"Brother Jiang, it's been a long time."

Another fruitful haul? It seems you're perfectly capable of conquering the seas even without the clouds' help.

"Zi Long!"

Upon seeing Zhao Yun, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, Jiang Qin was overjoyed and hurriedly tried to introduce him to the people around him.

"Zilong, guess who's here? You and he are as close as family; by all accounts, you should address him properly."

"I must address Ning as Father!"

"I am but a humble servant, and I am none other than General Zhang Jiao, the Ghost Lord!"

Before Jiang Qin could utter the words "sworn brother," Gan Ning burst into laughter and spoke up first.

Zhao Yun: “???”

(End of this chapter)