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

Chapter 254 Yuan Shao declares himself emperor, Liu Bei sends envoy with gifts (Seeking subscriptions and monthly votes)
"Should I also call myself Emperor Zhong?"

Yuan Shao glanced at Yuan Si, then looked at Guo Tu again, his gaze carrying a hidden meaning.

Yuan Si is still here; wouldn't calling himself Emperor Zhong be a slap in the face to Yuan Shu?
Having already been humiliated, how could they possibly form an alliance with Yuan Shu to jointly attack Liu Bei?
Guo Tu gave a look, and Yuan Si understood, saying, "The Grand General and our Emperor are of the same clan. Since they are of the same clan, they should naturally use the Zhong clan name. Only in this way can the Zhong clan's destiny be connected in the north and south, and they can jointly resist the Han dynasty's destiny. If the Grand General wins, the ministers in the south can serve the Grand General. If the Grand General loses, the ministers in the north will serve our Emperor."

Yuan Shao sneered: "Yuan Shu is quite the schemer. Does he really think that by defeating Liu Dai, Liu Biao, and Liu Yan, he can defeat me? I am merely going against the will of Heaven to contend with Liu Bei, thus losing the blessing of Heaven. When the will of Heaven is restored to me, neither Liu Bei nor Yuan Shu will be my match!"

Seeing that Yuan Shao could accept this argument, Yuan Si continued, "General, your courage and ambition are admirable. If you were to defeat our Emperor in the future, I would be willing to serve you, and the ministers of the South would also serve you."

Hearing Yuan Si's reply, Yuan Shao understood Yuan Si's deeper meaning: as far as Yuan Si and other southern officials were concerned, it didn't matter whether Yuan Shao or Yuan Shu became emperor, as long as it was the Zhong family and not the Han dynasty.

"it is good!"

Yuan Shao finally made up his mind.

The feeling of being oppressed by Liu Bei was too unbearable for Yuan Shao. He desperately needed the Mandate of Heaven bestowed upon him by Zhong Shi to restore the divine power of Yuan Shao.

Moreover, Liu He has long since lost his power.

Even those who could support Liu He, such as Xianyu Fu, surrendered to Liu Bei after the Battle of Chaoge. Keeping Liu He around was of no use except to increase the mandate of heaven for the Han dynasty.

The difference is that, unlike Yuan Shu who directly declared himself emperor, Yuan Shao still wanted to save face and wanted to carry out an abdication, so that the Mandate of Heaven of Han could be directly adopted by the Zhong family. Based on this, he could then compete with Yuan Shu for the Mandate of Heaven of the Zhong family in the future.

Subsequently.

Yuan Shao then summoned his close confidants, including Feng Ji, Xun Chen, He Yong, Zhang Jin, Xin Ping, and Xin Pi, to discuss his plan to become emperor.

This time, Yuan Shao didn't give everyone a chance to discuss whether to declare himself emperor. Instead, he directly ordered everyone to cooperate in fabricating auspicious omens in various places.

Yuan Shao is determined to become the Zhong Emperor!

However, Feng Ji and others had long hoped that Yuan Shao would declare himself emperor.

Previously, supporting Liu Yu and his son was for the greater good, but now that Liu Yu is dead and Liu He has little prestige, the Han dynasty shines brightly in Liu Bei's hands. Continuing to use the name of the Han dynasty would only make it easier for Liu Bei to manipulate people's hearts.

In particular, the overwhelming media offensive last time made Feng Ji and others feel a chill.

If this were to happen again, and someone foolishly instigated Liu He to turn against Yuan Shao, it would be even more disadvantageous for Yuan Shao.

As arranged by Yuan Shao.

Auspicious omens appeared one after another in Youji.

First, a black tortoise appeared in Yuyang, then a yellow dragon appeared in Bohai, followed by a flock of phoenixes in Pingyuan, and then a white tiger appeared in Zhao.

Meanwhile, in Nanpi, a bronze kylin was unearthed, with the inscription "Da Zhong will rise, Yuan Shao will be the most respected."

Each county and prefecture also had sweet dew, sweet springs, strange beasts, and so on. All sorts of wonders flocked to the area within a month.

As auspicious omens appeared, a sorcerer presented a jade tablet with a prophecy inscribed with the words, "The Great General Shao is ordained by the gods; he should align with the prophecy to fulfill the positions of Heaven and Man."

December 6th.

When Yuan Shao marched his army to Julu, he seemed intent on attacking Wei Commandery.

Meanwhile, Liu He of Nanpi summoned his ministers and officials, and ordered the Imperial Censor Hu Zhao to bring the imperial seal and ribbons to Julu to invite Yuan Shao to succeed to the throne.

Hu Zhao then said, "The Grand General's humility is no less than that of Shun, Yu, Tang, and Wen. Your Majesty wishes to abdicate the throne to the Grand General."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao feigned great shock and angrily rebuked Hu Zhao, saying, "Even King Wen of Zhou and the Duke of Zhou did not usurp the throne. I am of shallow virtue and can only admire them. Now the people under my rule are not even well-fed and clothed. How can I overstep my bounds? Go back and tell His Majesty that I only wish to be a quiet general until my death."

December 16th.

Liu He then sent Dong Zhao, the Junior Steward, with imperial insignia and seal to Julu again, requesting Yuan Shao to succeed him. He also said: "Since the time of Emperor He, no emperor has had an heir. The Mandate of Heaven has long since passed away. Even Shun and Yu did not defy the Mandate of Heaven. General, you cannot refuse again."

Yuan Shao was furious and rebuked Dong Zhao for his lack of gratitude. He sent Dong Zhao back to Nanpi and then submitted a memorial stating: "Yu Ling Zhongzi considers benevolence as wealth, Bai Cheng Zigao considers righteousness as value, Bao Jiao was moved by Zigong's words and abandoned his vegetables to die, and the woodcutter criticized Ji Zha for his inappropriate words. My virtue is not that of King Wu of Zhou, and my righteousness is ashamed of Yi and Qi. I wish to stay away from the wrong path of those who are reckless and deluded, to establish the inviolability of Dan Shi, to surpass the wealth of Yu Ling, to follow the value of Bai Cheng, to uphold the integrity of Bao Jiao, and to follow the purity of the woodcutter."

The gist of it is: My virtue is inferior to that of King Wu of Zhou, and my morality is inferior to that of Boyi and Shuqi. I am too busy admiring the sages of the past, so please stop harming me for being disloyal and unjust.

December 26th.

Liu He then personally issued an edict to Yuan Shao, ordering Hu Zhao and Dong Zhao to come and find him. The edict stated: "The Mandate of Heaven does not lie with the Han Dynasty but with the Yuan family. If it weren't for the Grand General, the Han Dynasty would have perished long ago. Moreover, the Grand General is my father-in-law. Emperor Yao did not pass the throne to his son, and I think he is very wise. I wish to emulate him and abdicate the throne."

Yuan Shao once again angrily rebuked Hu Zhao and Dong Zhao, saying: "Back then, Xu You, Zizhou Zhifu, Shan Juan, Shi Hu Zhi Nong, and Bei Ren Wu Ze refused the throne; Yan Chu, Wang Zisou, Liu Xia Hui, and Zeng Shen were unmoved by wealth and honor. These nine men were all of high moral character and righteousness, and their names will be remembered for eternity. I am not as good as them. Even if I starve to death, freeze to death, die in battle, or jump off the East Sea, I will never accept Your Majesty's abdication edict!"
Despite the earnest urging from Hu Zhao, Dong Zhao, and others, Yuan Shao remained unmoved.

However, it was December 30th.

Liu He then led all the officials to Julu in person to once again persuade Yuan Shao to abdicate.

After going through a whole set of tedious and hypocritical procedures of three refusals and three concessions, Yuan Shao no longer declined, saying: "Your Excellencies have repeatedly emphasized that the Mandate of Heaven cannot be refused and the people's wishes cannot be defied. Your Majesty has also come to Julu in person. I am deeply grateful for Your Majesty's kindness and am willing to accept Your Majesty's abdication."

He Yong also said that the first day of the Lunar New Year is an auspicious day.

Thus, tens of thousands of people, including dukes, marquises, generals, and foreign envoys, witnessed the new emperor's formal enthronement at the altar in Julu, where he offered sacrifices to Heaven, Earth, the Five Sacred Mountains, and the Four Rivers.

He changed the era name to Huangchu, officially registered as emperor, and called himself Emperor Zhong.

Yuan Shao's series of actions to declare himself emperor in Julu were too complicated and cumbersome, so Zhang Liao of Wei Commandery had already learned of them.

Upon learning that Yuan Shao had declared himself emperor in Julu, Zhang Liao sent someone to Luoyang to inform Liu Bei of the news.

Luoyang.

After glancing at the urgent report sent by Zhang Liao, Liu Bei couldn't help but sneer: "Making a coveted imperial title so complicated. Does Yuan Shao really think that declaring himself emperor will change his fate?"

Even before this, Guo Tu had sent a message to Liu Bei, saying that Yuan Shu had sent Yuan Si to Nanpi, partly to form an alliance and partly to persuade Yuan Shao to declare himself emperor. The message also detailed Yuan Si's sophistry about the Mandate of Heaven.

After reading this, Liu Bei only instructed Zhang Liao to strengthen the defenses.

In fact, even though Yuan Shao did not declare himself emperor, Liu Bei had the intention to encourage him to do so.

Because after Yuan Shao ceded territory to sue for peace, the powerful families and clans of Hebei were inclined to give up, and many of them secretly visited Zhang Liao, hoping that Zhang Liao could ask Liu Bei if he could be more lenient in his policies towards the powerful families and clans of Hebei.

Relaxed?

Relaxing restrictions is impossible.

Liu Bei's new policies must be implemented thoroughly, and no one is allowed to take shortcuts.

It would be best if all the powerful and influential families in Hebei became Yuan Shao's subjects, so that Liu Bei could wipe them all out in one fell swoop.

Before Liu Bei could even send someone to urge Yuan Shao to declare himself emperor, Yuan Shu sent someone to urge Yuan Shao first.

This was exactly what Liu Bei wanted!
Yuan Si's reasons for urging Yuan Shao to declare himself emperor were indeed logically consistent. Yuan Shu's rise to power would have been much faster after he declared himself emperor, following his utter defeat.

When Yuan Shao was at the height of his power, he supported Liu Yu, but suffered repeated defeats.

This forced Yuan Shao to believe that declaring himself emperor could change his fate.

Liu Bei had hoped that Yuan Shao would quickly declare himself emperor, but unexpectedly, Yuan Shao spent two months in Hebei, bringing auspicious omens from all directions and repeatedly declining the offer of office. The news that came back to Liu Bei was so disheartening that he lost interest in the matter.

Liu Bei summoned Xu You and informed him of Yuan Shao's claim to the throne, saying, "Yuan Shao and I were once both Commandants of the Western Garden Army, and could be considered equals. Now that Yuan Shao has declared himself emperor, how can I not send envoys to deliver gifts? I acknowledge Yuan Shao's status as a legitimate emperor, while Yuan Shu is merely a false emperor. Ziyuan, would you dare to make a trip to Nanpi to deliver gifts on my behalf?"

Xu You understood and said, "Yuan Shu sent people to encourage Yuan Shao to declare himself emperor, intending to lure Yuan Shao into a southern expedition. Now that Your Majesty has sent envoys with diplomatic courtesy and recognized Yuan Shao's status as Emperor Zhong, Yuan Shao no longer needs to launch a southern expedition to establish his authority. The two countries can also coexist peacefully for the time being."

Liu Bei nodded: "Yuan Shu is becoming increasingly arrogant in the south. He wants to launch a northern expedition, but I am afraid that if we lose, it will damage the prestige of our successive defeats of Liu Dai, Liu Biao, and Liu Yan. Therefore, he is encouraging Yuan Shao to declare himself emperor, hoping to provoke Yuan Shao into a conflict with me. How can I let Yuan Shu have his way?"

By acknowledging Yuan Shaozhong's status as emperor and treating him with diplomatic courtesy, while regarding Yuan Shu as a false emperor, it was clear that unless Yuan Shaozhong was foolish, he would not have gathered troops to launch a southern expedition immediately after declaring himself emperor.

Now, both Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu understand that they cannot defeat Liu Bei militarily on their own.

Although the two wanted to join forces, they both wanted to be the ones to reap the benefits and let the other fight Liu Bei first.

Liu Bei, too, did not want to initiate the war.

Liu Bei needed Yuan Shao to have enough time to consolidate his power among the powerful clans in the north, so he was unwilling to fight Yuan Shao for the time being.

Liu Bei also hoped that Yuan Shu would take the initiative to launch a northern expedition, so that Yuan Shu would give up his advantage in naval warfare and instead have his southern troops fight Liu Bei on land.

Just like luring Yuan Shao out of the city, siege warfare is always the worst strategy.

In particular, the soldiers from the north were not accustomed to naval warfare in the south and were prone to illness due to the change in environment.

Liu Bei valued the soldiers of the Lingyan Army immensely. In his campaigns, he always prioritized the survival of the entire army, aiming to defeat the enemy while preserving his own strength as much as possible. This, he believed, was the highest art of warfare.

"We still need to borrow someone from His Majesty." Xu You agreed to the mission and then asked Liu Bei for permission.

"who?"

"Your Majesty's sworn brother, Grand Master of Ceremonies, Zhao Yun."

"allow!"

Liu Bei understood Xu You's meaning.

If only Xu You were sent as an envoy, Yuan Shao could have detained or even killed Xu You to demonstrate his resolve.

However, if Zhao Yun were to accompany him, Yuan Shao would have to carefully consider the consequences of detaining or killing him.

Zhao Yun was Liu Bei's sworn brother. If something happened to Zhao Yun in Nanpi, he would face a relentless war from Liu Bei.

Currently, among the three factions of Liu Bei, Yuan Shu, and Yuan Shao, Yuan Shao is the weakest.

As the weakest party, the best survival strategy is to watch the two strongest parties fight each other, rather than engaging in a decisive battle with the strongest party.

Even if Liu Bei is eventually defeated by Yuan Shu, Yuan Shao will be the first to be eliminated before Liu Bei is defeated.

Sending envoys with gifts and acknowledging Yuan Shaozhong's status as emperor was a way of reasoning; if reasoning failed, then military force was the only option.

Unless Yuan Shao has lost his mind, everyone has to weigh the pros and cons.

With Zhao Yun by his side, even if Yuan Shao wanted to pull some tricks, he would need a valiant general who could rival Zhao Yun in martial arts.

Subsequently.

Liu Bei had the Imperial Secretariat draft a diplomatic congratulatory letter and instructed Xu You and Zhao Yun to go on a mission to Nanpi together.

At the same time, he ordered Zhang Liao, the governor of Wei Commandery, to prepare his troops and demonstrate military might.

"Liu Bei sent an envoy to deliver gifts to me?" Yuan Shao's expression was strange.

Did something go wrong?
I've already declared myself emperor.

We are an enemy nation!
You send envoys to deliver gifts to an enemy country?

Guo Tu speculated, saying, "Your Majesty is now the Zhong Emperor, and Liu Bei is the Han Emperor. It is only proper etiquette for the two countries to exchange envoys. In other words, Liu Bei has acknowledged Your Majesty's status as the Zhong Emperor."

"Hmph! Do I need Liu Bei's approval?" Although he said this, Yuan Shao felt extremely pleased.

Previously, Liu Bei was the Grand General under Liu Yu, and even if Yuan Shao didn't admit it, he felt resentful and always felt inferior to Liu Bei.

Now that I am Emperor Zhong, I am on equal footing with Liu Bei.

"Summon the envoy to the palace!" Yuan Shao waved his hand and straightened his posture, wanting to greet the envoy in the most noble manner.

After a while.

Xu You led Zhao Yun inside.

"Xu You, Minister of the Imperial Secretariat of the Great Han Dynasty, accompanied by Zhao Yun, Grand Master of Ceremonies, pays respects to His Majesty the Zhong Emperor."

Hearing the address "Your Majesty the Zhong Emperor" delighted Yuan Shao, and he became much more pleasing to Xu You: "Xu Ziyuan, you are an old friend of mine, there's no need for such formalities. Now that I am the Zhong Emperor, why don't you abandon the darkness and embrace the light? With your talent, the position of Minister of the Imperial Secretariat is too much of a waste for you. I can appoint you as Minister of Works!"

Xu You smiled and said, "I appreciate Your Majesty's kindness. However, I see that Your Majesty is surrounded by outstanding talents in the palace. If I were to become Minister of Works, it would be easy for people to mistakenly believe that Your Majesty favors the old and does not value the talented."

Yuan Shao didn't really want Xu You to stay and serve as Minister of Works; it was just a polite formality. So he asked, "Ziyuan, what brings you to see me?"

Xu You took out a diplomatic congratulatory letter and said, "I have come on the orders of His Majesty the Han Emperor to present gifts to His Majesty the Zhong Emperor. His Majesty the Han Emperor wishes to establish diplomatic relations with His Majesty the Zhong Emperor and recognizes His Majesty the Zhong Emperor as the legitimate heir, while Yuan Shu is merely a false emperor."

Yuan Shao's breath hitched: "Does Liu Bei really say that? Quickly present the congratulatory letter!"

The Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat descended the steps to receive the diplomatic congratulatory letter from Xu You, then returned to present it to him.

The congratulatory message from the diplomatic envoy detailed Yuan Shao's family history of serving as high-ranking officials for four generations and his past deeds. It also stated that the reason for not wanting to launch a strong attack on Ye City last time was that Yuan Shao was merely a general of the pseudo-Han regime, and even if they won, it would only be the punishment of a traitorous general of the pseudo-Han regime, which was not worthy of praise.

It would be an insult to Yuan Shao, a man of such high status, to die as a traitorous general who betrayed the Han dynasty.

Furthermore, only if Yuan Shao becomes the Zhong Emperor can the subsequent campaign to destroy Yuan Shao be considered a glorious victory that will be recorded in history; otherwise, it would be an unfair victory.

As for Yuan Shu, Liu Bei expressed extreme contempt in his congratulatory message to the foreign powers, describing Yuan Shu as a skeleton in a tomb and saying that it would only take one assassin to destroy Yuan Shu, which was far less satisfying than fighting against Yuan Shao.

(End of this chapter)