Three Kingdoms: Start by buying a governor.

It was at this time that Xu Da sent a summary document from Bingzhou.

The Southern Xiongnu forces were completely driven out of the Ordos Loop, and their scattered tribes were either annexed or fled far to the northern desert.

Those officials below the rank of Commandant in Bingzhou who had a bad record or were incompetent have been transferred or dismissed under the opportunity of the post-suppression reorganization, and replaced with reliable people selected from the Youzhou Academy and military and political system.

The military and political power of Bingzhou had quietly and steadily fallen into Liu Ce's control.

The three northern provinces of You, Ji, and Bing were now connected, forming a single, unified entity.

Holding the battle report, Liu Ce grinned from ear to ear in the council hall: "Gentlemen, our territory has expanded again."

Fang Xuanling stroked his beard and laughed, "The three provinces of You, Ji, and Bing are now connected, and the entire northern China is now under your control, my lord."

Du Ruhui said, "Next, we should digest and absorb the information, and consolidate our foundation. The three prefectures are enough for us to manage for several years."

Xun Yu, however, said with some concern, "My lord, the bigger the tree, the more the wind will blow. Our power is expanding too quickly, and I fear it will arouse the court's suspicion."

Guo Jia sipped his wine and said with a smile, "Wenruo, you're overthinking it. The court is currently... too busy taking care of itself."

The news quietly spread within Liu Ce's inner circle, and everyone understood without saying a word. A calm and powerful confidence permeated the upper echelons of Youzhou.

...

The sixth year of Zhongping, the Spring Festival.

Zhuo County, Youzhou, the Prince of Yan's residence.

At noon, dozens of tables were set up in the main hall, where Liu Ce's civil and military officials gathered to celebrate the New Year.

"Gentlemen!" Liu Ce raised his glass. "In the past year, we... This glass is a toast to the new year! May Youzhou prosper! May we all prosper!"

"To Your Majesty!!!"

"Homage to Youzhou!!!"

Everyone raised their glasses in unison.

Warm atmosphere.

(Wishing all readers:)

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...

Time flies, and the spring of the sixth year of Zhongping passed in busyness and anticipation.

The imperial palace in Luoyang was shrouded in an increasingly heavy atmosphere of gloom and death.

April, Jiade Hall of the Southern Palace.

The scent of medicine seemed to solidify between the heavy curtains, lingering there.

Liu Hong, who once rode his horse at Ping Le Guan and shouted "Supreme General," is now extremely thin, buried in the thick brocade quilt of the dragon bed, his breathing as weak as a candle in the wind.

He had been unconscious for two days, but today he suddenly regained consciousness.

His face was a sallow, ashen yellow, with only his deep-set eyes occasionally revealing a lingering sense of resentment and deep worry.

What he couldn't let go of most was what would happen after his death.

His eldest son, Liu Bian, born to Empress He, was weak and frivolous, which he disliked. His youngest son, Liu Xie, was raised in the palace of Empress Dowager Dong. He was intelligent and composed, much like himself in his youth.

He had considered making Liu Xie the crown prince countless times, but Empress He was too powerful, He Jin held military power in the capital, and many officials had intricate connections with the He family.

This emperor, seemingly supreme, was actually bound by a giant web woven by eunuchs, relatives of the empress, and powerful families, unable to make any decisions, even on matters of national importance such as the selection of an heir.

Delay became his only form of resistance.

But Death was no longer giving him time.

He moved his fingers with difficulty.

"Jian Shuo..." His voice was weak.

"This servant is here." Jian Shuo knelt by the bed, her eyes red and swollen.

With his last ounce of strength, Liu Hong grasped Jian Shuo's sleeve, his breath catching in his throat, yet each word carried a desperate, ruthless edge: "I...I'm leaving. I...I favor Prince Liu Xie...You...you must find a way...to establish Xie...to execute He Jin...to purge...to eliminate the Empress Dowager's faction..."

Without a formal edict designating an heir, he could only secretly place this fatal entrustment into the hands of the eunuch he believed was the only one who could still control some military power.

Jian Shuo knelt down, kowtowed heavily, and choked with sobs, saying, "This servant understands. Your Majesty, rest assured, with the Western Garden Army in our hands, He Jin cannot overturn the heavens."

Liu Hong smiled bitterly and said, "In my life... I've done a lot of absurd things. Selling official positions, favoring eunuchs, building a nude bathing hall, opening a shopping mall in the West Garden... I'm afraid future historians will condemn me as a foolish ruler for all time."

He paused, catching his breath, "But what could I do? I was forced to become emperor at the age of twelve. Dou Wu and Chen Fan wanted to kill the eunuchs, and the eunuchs wanted to kill Dou Wu and Chen Fan. I was caught in the middle like a puppet. Later, when I took personal control of the government, powerful families controlled the court, and the maternal relatives were eyeing the throne covetously. If I didn't use the eunuchs, who could I use?"

"Your Majesty..." Jian Shuo sobbed uncontrollably.

"I also thought about being a good emperor." Liu Hong's eyes were unfocused. "I carved the Xiping Stone Classics to set a standard for scholars throughout the land; I established the Hongdu Gate Academy to give children from poor families a way out; I introduced the Hu bed so that people wouldn't always have to kneel; I had Bi Lan create the thirsty crow to sprinkle water and reduce dust... I did do more than just that."

But none of this could outweigh the infamy of selling official positions, the wronged souls imprisoned by the Party, or the flames of the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

...

Having confessed this biggest worry, Liu Hong seemed to have been drained of his last bit of energy, and his mind began to wander.

A bizarre and fantastical scene of a lifetime flashed before my eyes.

He recalled being chosen by Dou Wu when he was twelve years old and becoming emperor in a daze.

He initially wanted to work hard to govern the country, but he found that the government was controlled by powerful families, relatives of the emperor, and eunuchs, and he couldn't get involved at all.

Then let's just slack off, sell official positions, eat, drink, and have fun; it'll be quite enjoyable.

Thinking of the nude swimming pool in the West Garden, the palace maids wearing open-crotch pants, the official positions with clearly marked prices, and the mountains of gold and silver jewelry... Being an emperor is really great. You can do whatever you want. The Xianbei and Goguryeo were defeated by Liu Ce, and tributes kept coming. The blessings he enjoyed in this life were more than all his ancestors combined.

It's just that my two sons are disappointing.

Liu Bian was a spineless coward; all he knew was riding a horse and shooting arrows, and he didn't dare utter a single word in court.

Liu Xie was clever, but he was too young.

He Jin, that pig butcher, wanted to seize power just because he was the uncle.

Yuan Wei, Yang Ci, and their gang of old foxes from powerful families were all harboring wicked intentions, just waiting for him to close his eyes so they could manipulate the young emperor.

He Lian, that woman… Thinking of Empress He, his heart ached. That woman, so soft-hearted, only knew how to protect Liu Bian; sooner or later she would be implicated by He Jin. Foolish… If Liu Ce were here, he might still protect her out of consideration for their past relationship; but if Liu Ce weren't here… she probably wouldn't even know how she died.

He knew that his dissolute lifestyle, his favoritism towards treacherous officials, had led to the corruption of the court and the suffering of the people.

Otherwise, how could the Yellow Turban Rebellion have erupted and the world have been in turmoil?

However, another thought popped into her head, bringing a strange sense of comfort: thank goodness, thank goodness there is her younger brother Liu Ce.

Yes, Liu Ce.

This suddenly appearing imperial brother was like an incredibly sharp knife, cutting through many knots for him and for this crumbling dynasty.

He quelled the Yellow Turban Rebellion, he destroyed Zhang Chun and Zhang Ju, he slaughtered the Wuhuan, he defeated the Xianbei, he destroyed Goguryeo, and even the latest rebellion in Bingzhou was suppressed by him.

Because Liu Ce held up the sky in the north, Liu Hong was able to continue his decadent and "supreme" life in the West Garden of Luoyang, and he had the confidence to hold that grand military parade.

Even in the afterlife, facing his ancestors, he might be able to straighten his back a little and say, "Look, our Liu family hasn't gone extinct yet; we still have such capable descendants!"