Three Kingdoms: Start by buying a governor.

But Liu Hong didn't care.

He felt incredibly handsome and cool today, practically the most dashing emperor since the founding of the Han Dynasty.

The parade lasted for two hours.

At that moment, he seemed to have truly become that "Supreme General," that emperor who could control everything and awe the world.

The military parade lasted from morning until afternoon.

Liu Hong inspected the infantry formations, cavalry charges, and crossbow volleys... he looked at each one carefully and commented on them from time to time.

Finally, standing on the high platform, he addressed the three armies, saying:

"I have reigned for twenty years, witnessing the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the Xianbei invasions, and the Wuhuan uprisings... Yet my Han soldiers, loyal and fearless, have repeatedly defeated powerful enemies! Now, with Liu Ce, the Prince of Yan, who has annihilated the Wuhuan in the north, crushed the Xianbei, pacified Goguryeo in the east, and secured Bingzhou in the west, I am greatly gratified! I am deeply gratified!"

He paused, then his voice suddenly turned stern: "Yet these villains from all directions still dare not face death! Han Sui and Ma Teng of Liangzhou, and Ma Xiang of Yizhou, all defy the majesty of Heaven and rebel! Today, I hereby swear: those who offend my Great Han, no matter how far away, shall be punished!"

"No matter how far away they are, we will surely punish them! No matter how far away they are, we will surely punish them!" the soldiers shouted in unison.

Liu Hong nodded in satisfaction, said some words to boost morale, and then announced the end of the parade.

Afterwards, Liu Hong waved his hand and said, "Rewards! The entire army will receive a one-month pay raise! Plenty of wine and meat!"

Only then did the soldiers genuinely shout, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Liu Hong returned to the palace satisfied.

On the way back to the palace, he sat in the imperial carriage, the rosy glow on his face gradually fading, replaced by exhaustion and paleness.

That show just now exhausted his last bit of energy.

But he felt it was worth it. At least, he demonstrated the imperial authority to the world, showed He Jin that he could still command troops, and demonstrated the strength of the court to those restless aristocratic families.

Little did he know that, to those with discerning eyes, this military parade was nothing more than the emperor's last struggle.

This costly "vanity project" was described in only one line by historians:

"The emperor proclaimed himself the Supreme General and displayed his military might at Ping Le Guan."

But among the common people, another version is circulating:

"Have you heard? His Majesty is dressed in theatrical costume, performing monkey tricks at Ping Le Guan!"

"What monkey?"

"Tens of thousands of troops, let them play house with His Majesty!"

...

"Your Majesty," Jian Shuo said in a low voice as he rode alongside him, "He Jin doesn't look too good."

"Let him suffer," Liu Hong snorted. "I want the whole world to know that I am the supreme commander of the army!"

He looked north, thinking of Liu Ce.

My dear brother, you are training troops in Youzhou while I am reviewing them in Luoyang. We brothers are in the north and the south respectively. Surely the Han dynasty can hold on for a few more years?

Liu Hong returned to the palace and coughed as soon as he took off his armor.

Zhang Rang quickly handed over the medicinal soup: "Your Majesty has worked hard today and should rest."

"What rest?!" Liu Hong pushed aside the medicine bowl, his eyes shining. "I'm in a good mood today! Issue a decree: a banquet will be held in the West Garden. I want to celebrate with my soldiers!"

That night, the West Garden was brightly lit.

Liu Hong drank quite a bit of wine, watched the singing and dancing, and embraced the beauties. In a daze, he seemed to return to his youth, when he had just taken power, executed Hou Lan and Wang Fu, carved the Xiping Stone Classics, and established the Hongdu Gate Academy. How spirited and ambitious he was!

But what about now? The Yellow Turbans have thrown the country into chaos... Liangzhou has rebelled, Bingzhou has lost half of its territory, and war has broken out everywhere.

If it weren't for Liu Ce holding the line in the north, this empire...

"Your Majesty," Jian Shuo gently reminded him, "it's time to rest."

Liu Hong waved his hand, his eyes glazed with drunkenness, and said, "Jian Shuo, tell me... am I a ruler who will bring about the downfall of his kingdom?"

"Your Majesty, what are you saying!" Jian Shuo knelt down in fright. "Your Majesty is wise and mighty, and today's military review has shaken the world..."

"Alright, alright," Liu Hong said with a wry smile. "I know myself. Selling official positions, favoring eunuchs, instigating the partisan purge... future historians will probably condemn me severely."

He stood up, staggered to the window, and gazed at the night sky: "But what can I do? Powerful families control the court, and the imperial relatives are eyeing me covetously. If I don't use eunuchs, who will I use? If I don't sell official positions, where will the money come from to support the army? If I don't suppress the partisans, they will suppress me..."

Jian Shuo dared not respond.

"Thank goodness," Liu Hong murmured, "thank goodness for Liu Ce. That kid is good at fighting and governing the people. The more than four million people in Youzhou are well-fed and clothed, and I heard that the children can even go to school... What I, the emperor, could not do, he did..."

...

After returning to his residence, He Jin smashed a room full of porcelain: "Supreme General? Bah! A sickly man like him dares to call himself Supreme General!"

His aide advised, "General, please calm down. His Majesty's actions are merely an attempt to check and balance you. But the actual military power remains in your hands; there's no need to concern yourself with these empty titles."

"A hollow title?" He Jin sneered. "He can call himself the Supreme General today, but he can remove me from my position as Grand General tomorrow! We can't wait any longer... we must make plans soon!"

Meanwhile, at the Prince of Yan's residence, Liu Ce also received a detailed report on the military review at Ping Le Guan.

After hearing the report, Liu Ce was stunned for a moment and said, "Supreme General? Is my Emperor... cosplaying?"

Guo Jia laughed and said, "Your Majesty is... experiencing a final burst of energy before death."

Xun Yu sighed, "Your Majesty's desire to restore imperial power is well-intentioned, but... it's too late."

Liu Ce looked at the report, feeling a mix of emotions.

He could imagine his elder brother, the emperor, standing on the high platform; this might be Liu Hong's last moment of glory in his life.

"Send an order to Xu Da," he said in a deep voice, "to speed up the reorganization of Bingzhou."

Chaos is truly on its way.

...

At the same time, in Xuzhou, Tanxian, and Mifu.

The study was shrouded in gloom.

"Brother! I can't live like this!" Mi Fang practically rushed into the study, grabbed the teapot on the table, gulped down half of it, wiped her mouth, and slammed a thick stack of account books in front of her brother, Mi Zhu.

"Look for yourself! Salt shops, taverns, paper mills... everything is in dire need of supplies! The fine salt from Youzhou is whiter than snow, has no bitterness, and is about the same price. Our coarse salt is all damp in the warehouse! And that wine, everyone who's tasted it says our aged wine is like horse piss! Not to mention our Xuan paper..."

Mi Zhu didn't need to look at the account books; just by looking at his younger brother's behavior, he knew how bad the situation was.

He slumped onto the couch, pinching his brow, and said weakly, "What can I do? The Prince of Yan has the Midas touch, and he's backed by an army. No matter how good we are at business, can we bargain with a swordsman?"

"So that's why!" Mi Fang's eyes suddenly lit up. She leaned closer to Mi Zhu, her voice low but fervent, "We have to learn from the Zhen family! The Zhen family of Jizhou, they weren't anything special before, were they? But ever since they sent their daughters, especially Zhen Jiang and Zhen Mi, into the Prince of Yan's mansion, look at their current situation! On the northern trade routes, they're unchallenged! Money flows in like water! Is our Mi family's foundation weak? Not at all! What we lack is that kind of 'strong connection'!"