Brother, stop curling up! You're curling up like the founder of the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 127 Liu Bei Swears a Blood Oath to Divide and Control Yuan (Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets)

Liu Xie's feelings were quite complicated.

There was both resentment and helplessness.

In other words, "The Han Dynasty cannot be without the Imperial Uncle" can also be understood as "The Han Dynasty can be without Liu Xie".

However, Liu Xie lacked self-awareness; he had brought this upon himself.

If Liu Xie had completely trusted Liu Bei from the beginning, and had regarded Liu Bei as his "Prime Minister" just as Liu Shan regarded Zhuge Liang, then all matters of state, great and small, would have been decided by Liu Bei.

Given Liu Bei's strong sense of loyalty and righteousness, if he had determined that Liu Xie's trust was genuine and not feigned, he might have allowed Liu Xie to become a restorer of the dynasty, and himself to become a prime minister like Zhuge Liang.

However, there is no if in reality.

In fact, Liu Xie did not trust Liu Bei from the beginning, and even harbored the idea that "if Jian Shuo can kill He Jin, Liu Bei can use him if he can, and kill him if he can't."

The fact that Liu Xie now regards Liu Bei as "Imperial Uncle" and proclaims "The Han Dynasty cannot be without an Imperial Uncle" is not because Liu Xie has completely trusted Liu Bei, but because Liu Xie needs Liu Bei as his Imperial Uncle to deter those who want to overthrow the Han Dynasty.

Liu Xie didn't know he was wrong; he knew that if he didn't admit his mistake, he would die.

If one day Liu Xie discovers that he doesn't need Liu Bei to deter those who want to overthrow the Han Dynasty, Liu Xie will abandon Liu Bei without hesitation.

Liu Bei understood this very well.

They wouldn't believe it just because Liu Xie respectfully said, "The Han Dynasty cannot be without the Imperial Uncle."

Throughout history, both in China and abroad, emperors have mostly been ruthless.

Even moderate rulers like Liu Shan, who "became a wise and just ruler when he appointed virtuous ministers, and a foolish and ignorant ruler when he was misled by eunuchs," were few and far between.

The phenomenon of kindergartens in the Eastern Han Dynasty was extremely serious.

He ascended the throne as a young man, having endured too many hardships since childhood, and was naturally suspicious by nature.

In order to maintain their ruling position, they constantly support one new force after another to counterbalance the old forces.

The more powerful forces there are, the more conflicts there will be.

It may seem like a scheme or tactic, but it is of no benefit to the people.

Everyone's too busy fighting to care about the people and the world.

While "enduring hardship to achieve one's goal" is an inspirational phrase, it is often accompanied by sayings like "One can share hardship, but not wealth" and "When the birds are all gone, the good bow is put away; when the cunning rabbit is dead, the hunting dog is cooked."

Liu Xie also shared this temperament.

Liu Bei did not want to be a "loyal minister" who, though he could be remembered in history, would die a resentful death.

Liu Bei's ambition was always to become the emperor of the Han Dynasty!
Like Li Shimin, the ruler of the Eastern Hemisphere of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Taizong, Heavenly Khan, Prince of Qin, Grand Commandant, Minister of Works, Chancellor, Grand Chancellor of the Eastern Shaanxi Circuit, Grand Chancellor of the Yizhou Circuit, Governor of Yongzhou, Governor of Puzhou, General of the Twelve Guards, Pillar of State, and General of Heavenly Strategy:
His commands were obeyed in all directions, and all nations came to pay homage.

In this way, one can be worthy of the decades of hard work in both past and present lives.

As for Liu Xie...

If Liu Xie behaves well and doesn't cause trouble in the future, Liu Bei will let him live a life of leisure and comfort.

If Liu Bei had a bad attitude and acted recklessly like Emperor Gengshi, he would have had no choice but to follow Emperor Guangwu's example and directly declare himself emperor to punish the traitors of Han.

The title of "Imperial Uncle" was used not only to counter those who held the emperor hostage to command the feudal lords, but also to deal with Liu Xie's suicidal behavior in imitating Emperor Gengshi.

Although this situation may not necessarily occur, it's always wise to be cautious.

In chaotic times, just surviving is difficult enough, but Liu Bei also aspired to become emperor. He faced countless open and hidden attacks!
If one only focuses on arrogance without taking precautions, He Jin serves as a cautionary tale.

Half an hour later.

Liu Bei, Cao Cao, Liu Biao, Liu Dai, and Gai Xun gathered together.

"Congratulations, Xuande! From now on, I shall address you as 'Imperial Uncle'," Cao Cao said, raising his cup in a toast, his heart filled with unspoken envy.

Liu Bei replied with a sigh, "Brother Mengde, please just call me by my courtesy name. My request for His Majesty to recognize me as his imperial uncle was a last resort, done only to save my life."

Cao Cao, Liu Biao, and Liu Dai all laughed, but only Gai Xun understood what Liu Bei meant by "only to save your own life."

Gai Xun knew long ago that Liu Xie did not trust Liu Bei.

Thinking back on the past, Gai Xun couldn't help but sigh inwardly: If the late emperor and His Majesty had trusted Liu Bei, why would they have allowed Dong Zhuo to become Minister of Works today? Dong Zhuo has always been greedy, and even with Liu Bei's deterrence, he could not change his nature.

Ugh--

Gai Xun, who was well aware of Dong Zhuo's character, was deeply worried about Liu Xie's future situation.

After exchanging pleasantries with everyone.

Liu Bei then said solemnly, “Except for those who govern Xuzhou, this is the first time for any of you to serve as governor of a province. I have a few words to say, which should be heard by you all, and you must not spread them outside.”

Seeing Liu Bei's solemn expression, everyone else also composed themselves.

Liu Bei then said in a deep voice, “Brother Mengde also knows that I am skilled in divination and prophecy. Recently, I observed the celestial phenomena at night and found that the phenomenon of ‘the main star is dim and the guest star is bright’ has not disappeared because of the deaths of He Jin and the eunuchs. On the contrary, it has intensified. The signs of great chaos have not disappeared, or rather, the real chaos has not yet arrived.”

Cao Cao was taken aback and said, "Is it possible that because the successor has only just ascended the throne today, the dimming of the main star in the sky has not yet changed?"

Liu Bei shook his head: "Celestial phenomena foretell the future, not the present. Logically speaking, the celestial phenomena should have changed after yesterday's meeting at the West Garden. Since the celestial phenomena have not changed, I estimate that this great chaos may have nothing to do with the main star."

Gai Xun said, “Although I don’t understand apocryphal texts very well, I think that the dimness of the main star may not mean who will become the emperor, but rather that the corruption of officials within the court has led to a loss of control over the various prefectures and counties; the brightness of the guest star does not refer to He Jin, eunuchs, or others, but rather to the corruption of officials in various prefectures and counties, the lawlessness of powerful bandits, and the rampant rebellion, which has led to the people’s suffering and the freezing of many bones on the roads.”

Liu Bei looked at Gai Xun with some surprise and said, "Gai Xun's words are truly enlightening. If the dimming of the main star corresponds to the corruption of officials within the court, and the guest star corresponds to the officials, bandits, and rebels in various prefectures and counties, then we have a long way to go and heavy responsibilities ahead."

Gai Xun's tone hardened: "Since we are the officials in charge of this region for the imperial court, we should do our best. But what do I have to fear from mere officials, bandits, and rebels?"

Merely?

Cao Cao was slightly surprised: "Gai Xuzhou, you really don't treat these people like human beings."

Thinking about Gai Xun's life, Cao Cao felt relieved. Although Gai Xun was not young, he was ruthless and decisive when he was young.

Liu Biao and Liu Dai also lowered their heads in deep thought, both agreeing with what Gai Xun said.

Seeing this, Liu Bei proposed, "Although the five of us are each in charge of a region, the officials, powerful bandits, and rebel armies in each prefecture and county are quite formidable, and there is also the power struggle between Dong Zhuo and Yuan Shao within the court. Why don't the five of us form an alliance? If we have the capacity, we will help each other. What do you all think?" Everyone was interested.

Liu Bei was in Yongzhou, Liu Biao in Jingzhou, Liu Dai in Yangzhou, Gai Xun in Xuzhou, and Cao Cao in Yanzhou. Except for Liu Bei and Cao Cao, they were all neighboring provinces.

If all parties can form an alliance for offense and defense, it will indeed benefit all of them.

Cao Cao couldn't help but recall Yuan Shao's words, "Your tenure as Governor of Yan Province won't last long. The Prefects and Chancellors of Yan Province are all former protégés and subordinates of the Yuan family." A chill ran down his spine, and he was the first to voice his support:
“I think Xuande is right. We are facing not only officials, bandits and rebels in various prefectures and counties, but also ambitious people like Yuan Shao. Although Yuan Shao has lost power, he will not give up easily.”

Driven by his ambitions, Cao Cao was a ruthless and decisive man. Since he had decided to break away from Yuan Shao and go it alone, he had to find a way to defeat Yuan Shao to the point of being unable to resist. Otherwise, if Yuan Shao recovered, Cao Cao would be the one to suffer.

Cao Cao then bowed to Gai Xun and said, "Gai Xuzhou is highly regarded in the court and among the people. We will have to rely on Gai Xuzhou in the future."

Gai Xun hurriedly returned the greeting, saying, "You're too kind, Governor Cao. It's all for the sake of the Han Dynasty. If you're in trouble, I certainly won't stand idly by."

Liu Biao and Liu Dai both expressed their support for the alliance.

Although both are governors, it is difficult for a governor who is parachuted in to seize power. If they can form an alliance, they can help each other in times of crisis.

Seeing that everyone agreed, Liu Bei was also delighted, and so he swore an oath of brotherhood with the four men.

While the alliance was still in motion, Liu Bei turned to Gai Xun and said, "I have a favor to ask of you, Gai Xun, and I request your assistance."

"I have an old friend, Zhuge Gui, courtesy name Jungong, from Yangdu, Langya, who serves as the Assistant Prefect of Taishan. Some time ago, I received news that he had returned to his hometown due to illness, which has greatly worried me. Now that he has taken up his post in Xuzhou, I would be very grateful if you could look after him for me!"

Gai Xun smiled and said, "Since he is an old friend of the Imperial Uncle, I will naturally take care of him."

Liu Bei sincerely thanked him, saying, "To express my gratitude, I recommend three people who can help build up Xuzhou. The first is a man from Beihai, named Sun Qian, courtesy name Gongyou, who is a disciple of Kang Cheng Gong; the second is a man from Donghai, named Mi Zhu, courtesy name Zizhong, who is a wealthy merchant from Donghai. Both of these men are respected by the world for their dignified demeanor."

"The third is a man from Xiapi named Chen Deng, courtesy name Yuanlong. Although he came from a prominent family, he had the ambition to help the world and the people. He was well-versed in both ancient and modern learning, had extensive knowledge of historical records, and was skilled in literature and art. He was well-versed in classical texts and essays. His literary and martial talents were rare in his time."

Although he couldn't recruit the three into Yongzhou because of his position as governor of Yongzhou, Liu Bei didn't forget to cultivate a closer relationship with them.

Since there was a recommendation, if the three of them have nowhere else to go in the future, they can consider coming down to Yongzhou to find Liu Bei.

If Zhuge Liang hadn't been so young, and if Liu Bei hadn't been afraid that he might die prematurely, he would have wanted Gai Xun to send Zhuge Liang to Yongzhou instead of taking care of him privately.

After all, in this turbulent era, anything could happen. If the young Zhuge Liang were to die young, Liu Bei would lose the prime minister he had been longing for.

Gai Xun exclaimed in surprise, "My Imperial Uncle has recommended such a talented person. How can I possibly repay you?"

Liu Bei laughed and said, "Gai, you are too kind. Since we have just sworn an oath of brotherhood, we should help each other. Now that I have recognized a talented person, how could I not recommend him?"

Liu Dai hurriedly bowed and asked, "Uncle, you can't be biased! Are there any talented people in Yangzhou who can be recommended? I will never forget your kindness in recommending talents today."

Liu Bei returned the greeting with a smile: "Although I am not very familiar with the talents of Yangzhou, as long as Governor Lu Kang of Lujiang is treated with courtesy, you will surely gain something."

Although somewhat regretful, Liu Dai understood that Yangzhou was not as good as Xuzhou, and that Liu Bei had already shown him the way.

Liu Biao did not ask Liu Bei, not because he did not want talented people, but because he was a famous scholar who had become renowned at a very young age. He knew better than Liu Bei who the talented people in Jingzhou were.

Cao Cao stared expectantly at Liu Bei: "Xuande, you can't favor one over the other. As you know, the governor and prime minister of Yanzhou are both former protégés of the Yuan family. Without the help of local virtuous men, I would find it difficult to rectify the administration."

Gai Xun, Liu Dai, and Liu Biao were mostly based in the south, where the Yuan clan's influence was relatively weak.

If Cao Cao were in Yanzhou, he would directly face the Yuan clan's power. If he wasn't careful, he could be sidelined by the governor and prime minister of Yanzhou.

Liu Bei still needed Cao Cao to control Yuan Shao.

After a moment's consideration, Liu Bei recommended, "Brother Mengde, do not worry. I do know two men. One is from Dongjun, named Chen Gong, courtesy name Gongtai, who is upright and resourceful; the other is from Dongjun, named Cheng Yu, courtesy name Zhongde, who is resourceful and brave. If you want to establish yourself in Yanzhou, you should make Dongjun your base."

Cao Cao was overjoyed, silently noted down the names of the two men, and thanked them, saying, "Xuande has helped me so much, I don't know how to thank you enough."

Without hesitation, Liu Bei said, "My sworn brother Zhang Fei is extremely fond of women and has very high standards. Ordinary women and men cannot catch his eye. The Xiahou family are descendants of Xiahou Ying and have many virtuous daughters. If there is an opportunity in the future, please find a Xiahou woman for Zhang Fei. I would be extremely grateful."

"This is a trivial matter, leave it to me." Cao Cao laughed, but inwardly he couldn't help but consider the matter carefully:
I have offended Yuan Shao. Although Gai Xun can help me, he is old. If Gai Xun returns to Luoyang because of his age, I will be isolated and helpless in Yanzhou. If I can marry Zhang Fei a woman from the Xiahou family, Liu Bei will not stand idly by and watch me suffer in the future.

Liu Bei also laughed heartily.

Although Xiahou Yuan's niece is still young, the Xiahou clan has more than just Xiahou Yuan's niece.

Moreover, Liu Bei also intended to poach members from the families of the founding heroes.

If Cao Cao fails to withstand Yuan Shao and Liu Bei eventually has to confront Yuan Shao, he can easily win over Xiahou Shi to serve him, thanks to Zhang Fei's relationship with her.

The situation in the world has changed drastically, and Liu Bei cannot accurately predict what will happen in the future.

Making some preparations in advance is definitely a good idea.

As for fleecing, we'll definitely try to take advantage of Cao Cao.

Liu Bei had his reasons for forming a blood oath with Cao Cao and the other three.

Yuan Shikai's power is too great; it is necessary to divide and control him.

The forces currently opposing Yuan Shao are Cao Cao, Gai Xun, Liu Dai, and Liu Biao.

Liu Bei's base of operations was in Yongzhou. Although it was the territory of the powerful Qin state, it had too few inhabitants and needed time to develop before he could emulate the powerful Qin state by marching out of Hangu Pass and conquering the world.

Before that, Liu Bei had to ensure that the Yuan family would not become too powerful.

When powerful, follow Zhang Yi's example of alliances to strengthen and annex weaker states; when weak, follow Su Qin's example of uniting small states to check and balance larger ones.

Compared to Dong Zhuo, Liu Bei was actually more qualified to shout: "The affairs of the world are in my hands. I will do it now, who dares to disobey?"

After drinking and bidding farewell to Cao Cao and others, Liu Bei rode back to his camp.

As soon as he entered the camp gate, Fa Zheng greeted him, saying, "Teacher, Xun You, the Yellow Gate Attendant, is waiting inside the tent."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei was delighted: "Are you talking about Xun You, Xun Gongda, from Yingchuan? He's come to the camp? Did he come alone?"

Fa Zheng nodded: "He came alone. I originally told Vice Minister Xun that the teacher might not have time to entertain us today and asked him to come another day. But Vice Minister Xun said that he must see the teacher today."

"Since Gongda has come looking for me, I've made time even if I didn't have any. Go and bring me my treasured wine. Since Gongda is here, let's get drunk and spend the night in the camp." Liu Bei laughed heartily.

(End of this chapter)