My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 385 Entering Luo for the Third Time
"The Emperor is overjoyed at our triumphant return from the southern campaign and is currently waiting for us in the palace. He hereby orders us to go out of the city to welcome you."

Zhong Yao was the emperor's chief envoy, so naturally he spoke to Liu Feng first.

Dong Zhao, Cao Ang, Man Chong, and others stood to the side, each with a smile on their face.

"I am deeply honored by Your Majesty's long wait; I am ashamed and do not deserve such treatment."

Liu Feng immediately expressed his gratitude, and then introduced the people behind him to Zhong Yao.

After the introductions were finished, Zhong Yao asked in a low voice, "Where is Yuan Gonglu?"

Liu Feng replied, "They are in the middle of the ranks, guarded by armored soldiers."

Zhong Yao nodded, then his face lit up with barely suppressed excitement and joy: "That jade seal...?"

Liu Feng gave the other party a reassuring look: "He has already come to Luoyang with me. When he meets the Emperor, I will personally present it to him."

Upon hearing this, Zhong Yao breathed a sigh of relief and then reassured him, "The Emperor was extremely pleased to learn of this matter and praised General Flying Cavalry and General Zheng Nan highly in front of us. I was just worried that something might go wrong, so I confirmed it first. Please don't worry, General Zheng Nan."

Liu Feng smiled knowingly, but teased, "I think Yuan Chang is just overthinking it."

Zhong Yao burst into laughter.

"Brother Zisheng."

Cao Ang walked over at this moment, cupped his hands in a bow to Liu Feng, and said with a smile, "I didn't expect that after more than a year, my virtuous brother has achieved great feats in the southeast, while I, your foolish brother, have been doing nothing in Luoyang and wasting my time. I am truly ashamed."

Liu Feng immediately returned the greeting, but then defended himself, saying, "Yuan Gonglu has been practicing cruel rule in the southeast, suppressing the people and exploiting the powerful. He has been so ruthless that the people of the southeast hate him and wish to devour him alive, but they cannot."

Thinking of the tragic state of the southeast, Liu Feng couldn't help but sigh: "Therefore, when the imperial army arrived, the people all rebelled, and the rebel army on which the tyranny relied to survive was helpless. I only succeeded because of others. How can I compare to my brother Zixiu assisting the general in Luozhong and handling all the important affairs of the world?"

When Liu Feng spoke of handling all the important matters of the world, Cao Ang looked somewhat embarrassed.

During this year, the struggle between Cao Cao and the emperor intensified.

Cao Cao no longer dared to enter the palace in person, and usually had Cao Ang act on his behalf. Whenever Cao Cao needed to enter the palace in person, armored soldiers would clear the way, and he would be dressed in inner armor and go straight to the outside of the palace.

The core issue in the struggle between the two sides lies in the issue of power.

According to the system of the Eastern Han Dynasty, it was quite reasonable for the Grand General to act as regent on behalf of the emperor.

However, it has two flaws when viewed today.

The first flaw is that Cao Cao's Grand General was not a relative of the emperor, and he did not have any daughters or sisters who married the emperor.

The second problem is that although the emperor is not old, he has already married. According to the Han system, the Grand General should return power to the emperor.

However, Cao Cao also had a countermeasure: Emperor Huan of Han was only twenty-one years old when the Empress Dowager nominally returned power to him, and he was not able to truly grasp power until seven years later, when he was twenty-eight years old.

Emperor Liu Xie is only eighteen years old now, so there's no need to rush.

One side wants to reclaim power, while the other wants to retain it; it would be strange if a fierce conflict didn't arise.

Moreover, Liu Feng's appearance greatly expanded Liu Bei's power, while Cao Cao's power shrank considerably.

Compared to the same period in history, Cao Cao has now lost at least the territories of Liang, Lu, Rencheng, Pei, part of Runan Commandery, and Yingchuan Commandery. In the latter half of this year, Cao Cao was even able to seize control of the prosperous and wealthy Chen Kingdom thanks to Yuan Shu's assassination of Liu Chong and Luo Jun.

On the emperor's side, the appearance of Liu Feng preserved a lot of power, such as Yang Feng, Han Xian, and Zhang Yang, who were no longer by Liu Xie's side at this time in history.

But now, not only are they still united around Liu Xie, but Liu Xie also holds such an important official position as the Commandant of the Capital Region, making it difficult for Cao Cao to eliminate dissidents through legal means.

Therefore, Liu Xie was undoubtedly much bolder than in the original timeline, and had more courage to challenge Cao Cao for power. If the emperor hadn't been wary of the threats from Yuan Shao in Hebei and Yuan Shu in Henan, Cao Cao's life would likely have been even more chaotic.

From this perspective, Liu Feng's swift and decisive elimination of Yuan Shu was actually quite bad news for Cao Cao.

After a fleeting moment of embarrassment, Cao Ang smiled apologetically and said, "Zisheng, you jest. The news of your capture of Yuan Shu and the retrieval of the Imperial Seal has reached Luozhong. The Emperor is overjoyed, and all the officials consider it a divine blessing. My father is also amazed and praises you for surpassing your father. Today, the Emperor has invited me, but I imagine you are too busy to attend. Tomorrow, I will personally go to the General of the Cavalry's residence to invite you. Please do not refuse."

"The General is busy with state affairs, yet he still cares about me, a foreign vassal. I should have taken the initiative to request an audience, but I am bound by royal orders."

Liu Feng first apologized, then solemnly replied, "In that case, I will wait for Brother Zixiu's arrival at my residence tomorrow."

Having received a satisfactory reply, Cao Ang showed genuine gratitude.

Cao Ang's personality was indeed somewhat different from Cao Cao's. Cao Ang was more sincere than Cao Cao, and his personality was not as extreme as Cao Cao's.

However, Liu Feng couldn't get close to Cao Ang either. After all, the Cao family father and sons were all romantic types. From Cao Cao to Cao Pi and Cao Zhi, they were all the same. Dealing with such people was quite difficult, because you could offend them with a careless word or deed and be resented for life.

After the emperor and the general's envoys had spoken, Liu Feng entered Luoyang surrounded by people.

Luoyang has changed dramatically since then, looking like a completely different world compared to last year.

The North and South Palaces, which had been burned down, have been rebuilt to some extent, and the emperor no longer lives in the former residence of the Zhao family, but has moved back to the inner palace.

It was also because of Liu Feng's appearance that the tributes from various local vassal states during the same period were far greater than in the original timeline.

In the original timeline, Liu Biao aside, Yuan Shao was mostly all talk and very rarely sent any real money as tribute.

But now, in just half a year, Yuan Shao has sent 20,000 shi of grain, over 100 head of cattle and sheep, 200 shi of lamp oil, 500 bolts of fine silk, 100 jin of gold, 200 jin of silver, 5 million wuzhu coins, 10 shi of sugar, 20 shi of honey, and 50 shi of salt. In addition, there are numerous ceremonial soldiers' armor, crowns and robes, and a great deal of food, drink, and entertainment.

Although all of these combined did not amount to more than one-tenth of Hebei's annual tax revenue, the significance of Yuan Shao's tribute was considerable. Moreover, these items were tributes, not taxes, and went into the emperor's private treasury, not the national treasury.

With money, the emperor's life naturally became much easier, and he also had the resources to bribe his court officials and attendants, which made Cao Cao's situation quite difficult.

After Liu Feng entered the city, Cao Ang took his leave.

Only Zhong Yao, Dong Zhao, and Liu Feng remained to enter the palace for an audience.

On the way to the palace, Liu Feng lowered his voice and whispered to Zhong Yao, "Yuan Chang, this time I'm going to Luoyang to ask for the governorship of Yangzhou. I wonder if I'll be able to get my wish?"

Upon hearing Liu Feng's question, Zhong Yao's expression tightened, and he slowly shook his head, saying, "Zisheng, I won't lie to you, but I'm afraid you'll have a hard time getting what you want."

"Why?"

Liu Feng's face showed displeasure. He and his son had always been respectful to the emperor, and now they had even eliminated Yuan Shu, a major threat to the emperor, and retrieved the Imperial Seal of the State.

Such extraordinary achievements deserve a governorship of Yangzhou, don't they?
Zhong Yao smiled wryly and said, "Zisheng, do you know that the conflict between the Emperor and the Grand General is escalating day by day? Although they are not exactly at odds, they are still quite unpleasant. Therefore, the Emperor intends to keep Zisheng in Luozhong to serve as an official." Liu Feng's gaze swept over Dong Zhao, who was standing to the side. The dark-faced fat man nodded slightly to him, clearly indicating that what Zhong Yao said was true.

Liu Feng suddenly realized that Liu Xie wanted him to be the first to step forward and to help him counterbalance Cao Cao.

I don't know who gave Liu Xie such a terrible idea; it's really disgusting.

Liu Feng was very displeased, and his face darkened.

He began to ponder it in his mind.

Although he is still young, his position is not low. If he is to remain in Luozhong, it will be difficult to appoint him to an official post.

The Three Dukes need not be mentioned, although we currently have both the Grand Marshal and the Grand General.

Of the three highest-ranking officials, only the Grand Tutor has no real position. The Three Dukes have already fallen to the status of first-rank officials. But Liu Feng is only fourteen years old. There is no way he can become one of the Three Dukes at the age of fourteen.

Similarly, although Liu Feng had enough merit to become one of the Nine Ministers, his seniority and age were still major hurdles.

If we remove the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, it would be a disgrace to retain Liu Feng by only appointing him as a Chamberlain. Even adding the Nine Ministers as his deputies would not be enough.

It should be noted that Liu Feng held the title of General Who Conquers the South, which was among the top three ranks of miscellaneous generals. Moreover, he was granted the title of Grand General of the Three Departments, which meant that he was above the Nine Ministers.

Giving someone the rank of one of the Nine Ministers would be fine, but if he were to become a deputy to one of the Nine Ministers, wouldn't that be a demotion?

Liu Feng made such a great contribution, yet he was demoted instead. People of the world will not care what Liu Xie thinks; they will only say that the court is unjust, the emperor is unbenevolent, and the rewards and punishments are unclear.

Judging from Liu Feng's perspective, there is probably only one suitable official position.

Liu Feng's gaze fell on Zhong Yao.

That was the Commandant of the Capital Region.

The Commandant of the Capital Region was always a figurehead, his prestige no less than that of the Three Dukes, and his real power was immense. Especially when the Commandant of the Capital Region was also in charge of the Secretariat, he could truly rival the Grand General.

In fact, if the Grand General wanted to seize absolute power and suppress the Emperor, the position of Commandant of the Capital Region was one he could not afford to fail in.

The reason Cao Cao can't control the emperor now is largely because Zhong Yao, the current Commandant of the Capital Region, is not one of his men.

When He Jin took over as Grand General, Yuan Shao was the Commandant of the Capital Region in Luozhong.

Liu Feng's gaze kept falling on Zhong Yao, trying to guess whether Zhong Yao was aware of this, and what the other party was thinking.

Thinking about this, Liu Feng was glad that he had just told Zhong Yao what he wanted.

Now Zhong Yao should understand that he does not want to stay in Luozhong, but wants to ask the Governor of Yangzhou to return to the southeast. Moreover, it was with his help that Zhong Yao obtained the position of Commandant of the Capital Region.

Liu Feng was deep in thought when Zhong Yao suddenly spoke up again.

“Zisheng, you may not know this, but the Emperor originally intended to send Grand Commandant Yang Biao to lead the welcoming ceremony for you today. However, Grand Commandant Yang has fallen ill, so I have been sent to welcome you instead.”

As soon as Zhong Yao finished speaking, the fat, dark-skinned Dong Zhao nodded immediately after sensing Liu Feng's gaze.

"And what about Lords Situ and Sikong?"

Situ Zhao Wen and Sikong Guo Gong were both pro-Liu faction members. Guo Gong, in particular, was an ally of Liu Feng. Every year, Liu Feng would send lavish gifts to Luoyang, and Guo Gong would receive one without fail. The gifts were so generous that his whole family could live comfortably in Luoyang.

At this moment, Dong Zhao spoke up: "Minister Zhao is indeed ill, while Minister Guo has been dispatched by the Emperor with imperial credentials to Hongnong."

Dong Zhao's words are quite interesting. What does "truly ill" mean? Could it be that someone is faking illness?

Considering what Zhong Yao just said, wouldn't the person faking illness be Grand Commandant Yang Biao?
Zhong Yao ignored Dong Zhao's words as if he hadn't heard anything at all.

Does Yang Biao have a problem with me?

Liu Feng's heart sank. He didn't know where he had offended this old man. Besides, even if he disliked him, it was very abnormal for him to show it so obviously.

Yang Biao was no newcomer to officialdom. If the Yuan family dared to call themselves the "Zhong" surname in the world, then the "Ji" surname in the world would be the Yang family of Hongnong. This powerful family, whose ancestors rose to prominence by seizing a powerful ally from Xiang Yu, was now a prestigious clan that had produced three generations of high-ranking officials.

Judging from Dong Zhao's words and Zhong Yao's reaction, the matter is almost certain. It's just that Liu Fengzhen doesn't understand where he offended this old man.

It's been over a year now, and I'm far away in the southeast, while Lao Deng is in Luozhong. It's clear that I have nowhere to offend him even if I want to.

Liu Feng looked at Dong Zhao and Zhong Yao. One of them had a sly, wicked grin on his face, while the other had a bitter smile. Neither of them seemed inclined to answer him.

Liu Feng suppressed his displeasure and decided to interrogate the fat man properly when they got back. It seemed he knew more than Zhong Yao, and Dong Zhao was also easier to talk to.

Most of the palace and its walls remained dilapidated, but the palace gates were completely renovated. Four armored soldiers stood guard inside and outside the gates, each holding a long halberd, looking imposing.

Upon arriving at this point, Liu Feng and the others dismounted and, after being inspected by armored soldiers, entered the palace gate.

Zhong Yao led the way, while Liu Feng followed on foot accompanied by Dong Zhao. Xu Chu and the others, because they did not have the emperor's edict and were wearing swords and armor, could not enter the palace and could only stay at the palace gate with their armored guards.

Zhuge Liang and his nephew, Pang Tong and others went ahead to the General of the Cavalry's residence to wait for Liu Bei's return.

As soon as they stepped through a small door, more than a hundred armored soldiers suddenly emerged from both sides, their bodies clad in armor, their hands holding halberds, exuding a murderous aura.

Liu Feng was immediately shocked, and Zhong Yao and Dong Zhao's expressions changed drastically.

Fortunately, these armored soldiers did not come for Liu Feng. Instead, they lined up in two rows at the entrance, and then their hundreds of halberds clashed together, creating a clanging sound and forming a passage for halberd soldiers.

At this moment, Liu Feng realized that this was the ceremonial ceremony of crossing halberds, which originated in the Zhou Dynasty.

The halberd exchange ceremony is divided into two types: the guiding halberd and the gate halberd, which are collectively called "Qiji".

It usually means to guide or to show off one's family status.

When the emperor used it, it served to intimidate and demonstrate his power, to warn against unforeseen events, and also to signify his high regard for it.

However, this sudden and unexpected action makes it hard to believe it's well-intentioned.

After all, this thing is a real weapon; it can kill people.

(End of this chapter)